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Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.
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SPC Kit Lowe Receives Bronze Star in D.C. -- [Afghanistan: My Last Tour]
"These acts of heroism and disregard for his own personal safety reflect great credit upon himself, the 1st squadron, 108th cavalry, and the United States Army."
Lessons re-learned -- [My View; Our Mission]
Over the last couple of weeks since my last post I've had the opportunity to re-learn some lessons that people have told me during this deployment. As you will read the first two lessons are positive, the third, re-taught to this morning, is not.
The Will and the Way -- [30 Days Through Afghanistan]
Ken and I have been looking over at the mountains for days, and dreaming about visiting the place where the two mountains meet. There's a small stream that runs between the two of them creating a footpath that is guarded by the ANP.
When the Soviet Union was occupying this country, this pass was the site of major battles between them and the Mujahadeen. The area is littered with old Soviet tanks and they sit as testaments to Afghanistan's 30-plus years of war.
The ride out was scary.
Iraq to Rehire 20,000 Hussein-Era Army Officers -- [NY Times]
The Iraqi government said Thursday that it would reinstate 20,000 army officers who served under Saddam Hussein, a surprising move given that Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has focused his campaign in the coming parliamentary elections around denouncing the former Baath government... With just over one week before Iraq holds its first national elections since 2005, the announcement, made on state-run television, was greeted with skepticism by Mr. Maliki's rivals.
Turkish Leaders Meet With Army Chief Over Alleged Coup Plot -- [Voice of America]
Turkey's leaders met with the head of the armed forces in an attempt to defuse rising tensions over the arrest of senior members of the military. The arrests are part of an investigation into an alleged military plot against the Islamic-rooted government.
Turkey Frees Officers as Tensions Rise -- [Wall Street Journal]
President Abdullah Gül of Turkey sought to assuage fears of political instability Thursday, pledging that a growing confrontation with the country's military would be resolved within the constitution.
Mr. Gül issued his statement after a rare three-hour, three-way meeting with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and army chief Ilker Basbug. Hours later, the two most senior of some 50 military officers detained Monday on charges of plotting a coup--a former chief of the air force and of the navy--were released without charge.
China Warns U.S. Against Selling F-16s to Taiwan -- [NY Times]
A top Chinese military official reaffirmed China's resolve to punish the United States over its decision to sell weapons to Taiwan and suggested on Thursday that there would be even greater consequences should Washington fulfill a longstanding request by Taiwan for advanced fighter jets.
North Korean Military Parts Were Intercepted, U.N. Says -- [NY Times]
Two shipping containers loaded at a Chinese port and bound on a ship for the Congo Republic carrying what the manifest called "bulldozers" were also found to be transporting North Korean tank parts and other military equipment in violation of international sanctions, diplomats at the United Nations said Thursday.
Patriot Act renewal passes House -- [Hot Air]
The House had another opportunity for progressives to do a little piñata-beating on a bill last night -- but curiously, it passed with little note or controversy. The extension of the Patriot Act sailed through the lower chamber with almost no one noticing, following a similarly quiet passage out of the Senate earlier in the week...
While You Are Distracted by the Summit, Obama Democrats Are Targeting the CIA -- [Andy McCarthy/The Corner]
The provision is impossibly vague -- who knows what "degrading" means? Proponents will say that they have itemized conduct that would trigger the statute (I'll get to that in a second), but it is not true. The proposal says the conduct reached by the statute "includes but is not limited to" the itemized conduct. (My italics.) That means any interrogation tactic that a prosecutor subjectively believes is "degrading" (e.g., subjecting a Muslim detainee to interrogation by a female CIA officer) could be the basis for indicting a CIA interrogator.
Torture add forces House Democrats to pull bill -- [Politico]
House Democratic leaders were forced to pull a major intelligence funding bill off the House floor after one of their own colleagues attached an amendment that would have jailed CIA agents who engaged in "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" during interrogations.
Military Monitored Planned Parenthood, Supremacists -- [wired.com]
The U.S. military monitored Planned Parenthood and a white supremacist group as part of the government's security preparations for the 2002 Olympics in Utah, according to new documents released by the Department of Defense. The U.S. Joint Forces Command liaison collected and disseminated information on U.S. citizens who were members of Planned Parenthood and the white supremacist group National Alliance regarding their involvement in protests and distributing literature,
U.S. law aimed at terrorists may go too far on free speech -- [Washington Post]
RALPH FERTIG seems an unlikely scofflaw. Yet the 79-year-old former administrative law judge could be in danger of being tagged a terrorist sympathizer -- and could face a 15-year prison sentence -- if the Obama administration prevails in its interpretation of an anti-terrorism law.
Huge Thank Yous to Soldiers' Angels -- [A Major's Perspective - in Iraq]
So there we were..(all good stories have to start that way)...but there we were....long crazy day, was getting a bit crazier and I walked back into the office. Sitting on my desk was two large boxes from Soldier's Angels filled with Coffee, two awesome Soldier's Angels Coffee Mugs, and a host of well wishes and support from home!! I can't even begin to tell you how far that went to making the day so much better. Well maybe you can see from the smiles around the room.
Military spouses angry that DoD halts job grants -- [AP]
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Military spouses were enthusiastic when the government started offering them grants last year of up to $6,000 for college or career training. Word spread quickly and they signed up by the tens of thousands. But the response was so heavy that it nearly busted the fledgling program's budget, prompting the Defense Department to suspend it abruptly last week.
For soldiers, single motherhood becomes another battlefield -- [Washington Post]
The latest flurry of attention toward gays in the military shows that the question of who gets to be a soldier, and why, is sometimes unavoidably moral. So let's ask that question about another group of soldiers who haven't attracted as much talk but should: mothers, many of them single, in combat boots -- and combat zones.
Hundreds line streets to welcome Wis. soldiers home from Iraq -- [AP/KARE]
ELLSWORTH, Wis. -- You didn't need to look any further than a scene in western Wisconsin Thursday to see just how valued our area troops are as they return home from Iraq. People lined the streets for miles to welcome back to welcome back nearly 70 members of the Army Reserve 652nd Engineer Company based out of Ellsworth.
VA to reopen Gulf War files -- [AP]
The Veterans Affairs Department says it's preparing to re-examine the disability claims of what could be thousands of Gulf War veterans suffering from ailments they blame on their war service.
About the Cyber Loop -- [The Cyber Loop]
The Cyber Loop is a group of carefully selected strategists who have banded together to further the development of strategic thought in the cyberspace domain. The Cyber Loop is not chartered by the government, military or any private organization.
The genesis for the Loop project was the realization that compared to other domains (land, sea, air and space) , not enough strategic thought is being applied to cyberspace, the newest domain of where conflict may arise, other than by a relatively small group of individuals. Much of the discussions about cyberspace still revolve around tactical and operational-level issues.
The goal of the Loop is to develop a community of high-caliber thinkers to further the development of strategic thought on the cyberspace domain. Several General Officers, Ambassadors, senior Federal government officials, members of academia and members of industry are active members of the Loop.
Katherine Bigelow: Hollywood's Roger Maris? -- [Andrea Shea King/Big Hollywood]
Fast forward to James Cameron's interview with MTV in which he says, "I would say that it's an irresistible opportunity for the Academy to anoint a female director for the first time. I would say that that's, you know, a very strong probability and I will be cheering when that happens."
Is Cameron doing the same thing to his ex-wife Katherine Bigelow that was done to Roger Maris? Is Cameron inadvertently -- or deliberately -- attaching an asterisk to Bigelow's name if she wins for "The Hurt Locker"?
Mother Jones on Oathkeepers -- [This Ain't Hell]
When the Oathkeepers first came to my attention, right after the 2008 election, it smelled a little fishy to me. All of the American servicemembers I know don't need a group to tell them to uphold their oath - in fact, I take offense that Stuart Rhodes thinks they will not. Supposedly Rhodes was a member of the military - does he honestly think that the mothers' sons with whom he served needed a boy scout troop to tell them to obey the law?
...The bottom line is this; the Tea Party Movement, Glen Beck, Lou Dobbs, Dick Armey and any other Conservative group needs to back away from the Oathkeepers and their secret alliance with IVAW...
Top US Marine rejects Obama plan to repeal gay ban -- [AFP/Brietbart.com]
The head of the US Marines said on Thursday he opposed ending the ban on gays serving openly in the military, the first top officer to break openly with President Barack Obama over the issue.
General James Conway told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he disagreed with Obama's plan to repeal the ban.
On this date in history:
1949: USAF plane begins first nonstop around-the-world flight
1993: Islamist terrorists bomb the World Trade Center
A granite memorial fountain honoring the six victims of the bombing was designed by Elyn Zimmerman and dedicated in 1995 on Austin J. Tobin Plaza, directly above the site of the explosion. It contained the names of the six people who perished in the attack as well as an inscription that read: "On February 26, 1993, a bomb set by terrorists exploded below this site. This horrible act of violence killed innocent people, injured thousands, and made victims of us all."
The fountain was destroyed with the rest of the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks.
2001: Mulla Mohammad Omar orders the destruction of the Great Buddhas of Bamiyan, in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan recently, supreme Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar issued an edict against un-Islamic graven images, which means all idolatrous images of humans and animals. As a result, the Taliban are destroying all ancient sculptures. Explosives, tanks, and anti-aircraft weapons blew apart two colossal images of the Buddha in Bamiyan Province, 230 kilometers (150 miles) from the capital of Kabul. Japan offered to hide Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddha statues to prevent the Taliban from destroying them, but the hardline regime instead suggested the Japanese convert to Islam...
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.
Updating - Refresh for updates.
Afghans Voice Their Fears Amid Marja Campaign -- [NY Times/C.J. Chivers - with the Marines in Marjah]
If the meeting was any indication, the Marines face local Afghans deeply worried for their safety and suspicious of American actions, even as the elders expressed an interest in collaborating with development projects once security conditions improve.
But first things first.
Battle starts to win over Helmand locals and wean them off poppy growing -- [The Times (London)]
Afghan civilians will today begin to pour into the district cleared by British troops in a pivotal phase of the operation to banish the Taleban.
Teachers and civil servants, together with foreign engineers, will begin to try to cement the military gains of Operation Moshtarak by winning the trust of locals.
Government Administrator Arrives in Marjah -- [Wall Street Journal]
The new Afghan government administrator of Marjah moved into town Tuesday, the most overt sign so far that the fierce military campaign to oust the Taliban is beginning to give way to the civilian campaign to win over the locals with economic aid and public services.
Afghan rights body: 28 civilians killed in Marjah -- [AP/Washington Post]
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission said in a statement Wednesday that it had confirmed 28 civilians deaths in the Marjah fighting, based on witness reports. Thirteen children were among the dead. About 70 civilians have been wounded, 30 of them children, the commission said... The commission said witnesses had told them that most of the casualties came from coalition gunfire and rockets.
The United Nations on Wednesday called on all sides to do their utmost to protect children from the conflict.
Underscoring the threat militants pose, two men on a motorbike gunned down a provincial official in neighboring Kandahar province as he walked to work Wednesday in the provincial capital, police said. Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for the assassination.
Routine -- [Rajiv Srinivasan - in Afghanistan]
I'm not sure if I'm going crazy in the 7th month of my Afghanistan adventure, but I seem to have adopted a peculiar alter-ego in my spare time; that of fitness guru Tony Perkis from the movie Heavyweights. My random movie quote announcements seem to bring up the spirit on the COP, so I didn't fight the change. They've actually become part of my morning routine here in Zhari District; or at least as close to a routine as one can have living two kilometers from Mullah Mohammed Omar's home street.
The 10 Dari Phrases You Need to Know -- [Your experience may vary - in Afghanistan]
As a Coalition advisor in Kabul, I've found even a little Dari goes a LONG way. Here's my take on the absolute least you need to know...
1. Kumak! Help! Because you just never know when you might need it...
Picture Perfect -- [Rajiv Srinivasan
- in Afghanistan]
Greetings from Boston! Over the next week, I'll be indulging myself in a fatty, sugar coated, and slothful R&R Leave as I spend valuable time with my parents and sister. In the interim, I'd like to share a few photos of my tour in Afghanistan with you now that I have the bandwidth (both electronic and mental) to do so.
U.S. plans for possible delay in Iraq withdrawal -- [Washington Post]
The U.S. military has prepared contingency plans to delay the planned withdrawal of all combat forces in Iraq...
Extending Our Stay in Iraq -- [NY Times op/ed - Tom Ricks]
IRAQ'S March 7 national election, and the formation of a new government that will follow, carry huge implications for both Iraqis and American policy. It appears now that the results are unlikely to resolve key political struggles that could return the country to sectarianism and violence.
If so, President Obama may find himself later this year considering whether once again to break his campaign promises about ending the war, and to offer to keep tens of thousands of troops in Iraq for several more years.
Nir Rosen: Stop the Iraq madness! -- [Nir Rosen/Tom Ricks]
...So when I saw Nir Rosen, a fellow at the NYU Center on Law and Security, make some comments that sharply disagreed with my pessimistic views on Iraq, I asked him to write a guest post for Best Defense explaining his take on the situation. Nir, who has been knocking around Iraq lately, graciously did so.
It's been frustrating to read the latest hysteria about sectarianism returning to Iraq, the threat of a new civil war looming, or even the notion that Iraq is "unraveling." I left Iraq today after an intense mission on behalf of Refugees International. My colleague Elizabeth Campbell and I traveled comfortably and easily throughout Baghdad, Salahedin, Diyala and Babil. We were out among Iraqis until well into the night every day...
Haiti: Port Repair, Port Operations and Fuel Operations -- [Eagle Speak]
It's been a week or so since we last looked in on how the recovery operation for Haiti's vital ports has been going (click on one of "labels" down below to see earlier reports). Since then the U.S. Navy and other cooperating forces have made substantial progress in opening up the vital sea life line to the Haitian people:
Son of Hamas founder spied for Israel for more than a decade -- [The Times (London)]
The son of one of Hamas's founding members was a spy in the service of Israel for more than a decade, helping prevent dozens of Islamist suicide bombers from finding their targets, it emerged today.
In-Justice! Furor over O's 'Gitmo' appointees -- [New York Post]
The Justice Department's disclosure that nine of President Obama's appointees had either represented or advocated for Guantanamo detainees has touched off a firestorm of criticism...
"To the best of our knowledge, during their employment prior to joining the government, only five of the lawyers who serve as political appointees in those components represented detainees," said Holder in the letter, which is dated Feb. 18. "Four others either contributed to amicus briefs in detainee-related cases or were otherwise involved in advocacy on behalf of detainees."
Pelosi Reasserts Claims On CIA Interrogation Techniques -- [Fox News]
"I have never been briefed by the CIA or anyone else on the subject of those interrogations, to the extent that they were being used," the California Democrat told reporters Tuesday. "We were only briefed that there were lawyers in the Justice Department that thought they were legal, period."
The comments marked Pelosi's first foray into the controversy in nine months that pitted the top House Democrat against the nation's premier spy agency. Responding to a lawsuit filed by Amnesty International and two other human rights watchdog groups, the CIA released several dozen documents detailing how the CIA handled suspected terrorism suspects and briefed lawmakers about it.
The documents show Pelosi was briefed about "ongoing interrogations of Abu Zubaydah" on April 24, 2002, just weeks after the top Al Qaeda suspect was captured in Pakistan. Previously, Pelosi asserted the 2002 briefing covered only "interrogation techniques the administration was considering using in the future."
Denmark Rallies Public Behind Afghan War -- [Wall Street Journal]
Denmark has paid a high price in Afghanistan. Its 750 troops represent almost 5% of its entire military, including reserves--among the highest in Afghanistan. Of the total, 31 Danish troops have died there, an allied casualty rate behind only Canada and Estonia, which has just 150 soldiers fighting.
Yet throughout a difficult 2009, polls consistently showed around a half of Danes surveyed by TNS Gallup believed Danish troops should be in Afghanistan; only one-third said they didn't. In NATO nations such as the U.K., Germany and Netherlands, meanwhile, polls reveal over half wanting troops back home.
"If you can't win the public opinion, you have lost the war," Danish Defense Minister Søren Gade said in a recent interview.
Hon. Duckworth and Brig. Gen. Vaught, USAF (Ret.) to Be Inducted Into the U.S. Army Women's Foundation Hall of Fame -- [PR Newswire]
The U.S. Army Women's Foundation today announced its Hall of Fame inductees for 2010: The Honorable L. Tammy Duckworth, Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs; and, Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, USAF (Ret.), President of Board of Directors of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc.
Duckworth is an Iraq War veteran, former U.S. Army helicopter pilot, and recipient of many distinguished service awards, including a Purple Heart, an Air Medal, and an Army Commendation Medal.
Vaught, one of the most highly decorated women to serve in the U.S. military, achieved many "firsts" that helped pave the way for thousands of army women to be judged based on their abilities -- not gender.
Navy soon to let women serve on subs -- [AP/Washington Times]
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates notified Congress in a letter signed Friday that the Navy intends to repeal the ban on female sailors on subs... Congress has 30 days to weigh in.
Vets group has tips on GI Bill repayments -- [Military Times]
Student Veterans of America is recommending that people who must give back their $3,000 GI Bill advances quickly assess their finances to determine the best way to repay the money.
The Veterans Affairs Department has announced it will start reducing living stipends, beginning April 1, by $750 per month to recoup the fall advance payments...
Anyone who received the pay advances who is not now drawing a monthly living stipend must make separate arrangements with VA to pay back the money.
VA docs forbidden to recommend medical marijuana -- [New Mexico Independent]
Both Culkin and another patient The Independent interviewed in January, Mr. Garcia, described their VA treatment for PTSD as involving numerous different prescription drugs that induced a zombie-like state. Marijuana, they both told The Independent, has enabled them to reduce the amount of prescription drugs they take and lead more normal lives.
It's Almost That Time for the MILbloggies, again -- [MILblogging.com]
The MILBloggies, which recognize military bloggers for their contribution to blogging, news and information, and to the military will be held in conjunction with the Fifth Annual Milblog Conference. The Milbloggies were started in 2006, and nominations have covered a range of categories over the years including: U.S. Military Parent, U.S. Military Supporter, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Military Veteran, U.S. Military Spouse, Foreign National Military and U.S. Reporter.
Grim Milestone (watched or not) -- [Greyhawk (23 Feb)]
"...the United States passed a deadly milestone as the 1,000th U.S. service member was killed in the Afghan war." They cite coverage from AFP, Pajhwok, BBC (twice), and Reuters. US news sources... missed this one. They'll probably catch up, but if I recall correctly they used to be out in front of this stuff in years past...
Death toll in Afghan war nears 1,000 -- [Washington Post (24 Feb)]
The roll call of the fallen began on Oct. 10, 2001, when Air Force Master Sgt. Evander E. Andrews was killed in a forklift accident in Qatar while building an airstrip in preparation for the invasion of Afghanistan. The latest confirmed addition came Sunday, when Army Pfc. J.R. Salvacion, 27, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit near Kandahar.
The number of dead is small in comparison with U.S. casualties in Iraq, where 4,366 uniformed personnel have died since 2003. But as operations intensify in Afghanistan, the war is killing more and more service members who came home safely after serving in Iraq, only to return to the battlefield in another theater.
McChrystal's Right Call -- [Attackerman]
Your commanders in the area say the base isn't defensible. Their judgment can't be ignored. But what will it mean for the broader objectives of the campaign if you ignore the Afghan governor and leave him and Barg-e Matal to its fate? Why will the Afghans, who've been let down so much by empty American promises, read that move as anything other than the U.S. viewing its peoples' lives as more precious than theirs?
Juicebox Mafia Report- Politics & Warfighting -- [In the Crosshairs]
Attackerman is listening to the comments of one of his readers and that is a good thing.
...That is some very reasonable analysis and it pays to remember that military decisions are made to eventually create a particular non-military end. Politics will often play a role in that
It Happens -- [Greyhawk]
Eight Americans died because the President of the United States delayed a decision for far too long.
2 Generals Wary About Repealing Gay Policy -- [NY Times]
The top generals from the Army and the Air Force expressed deep concern on Tuesday about moving rapidly to lift the ban on openly gay service members, saying it could make it harder for their forces to do their jobs while fighting two wars.
WWII female pilots getting Cong. Gold Medal -- [Air Force Times]
The Army Air Forces allowed them to take domestic military flying jobs that freed up male pilots to serve overseas, but their service was unappreciated and was kept secret for decades. Now, after years of lobbying, the Women Airforce Service Pilots will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on March 10.
"It's been a long road," said Parrish, 87, who joined the service in 1944. "It's only taken them 65 years."
Today in military history:
1968: Battle of Hue ends
Heavy street fighting followed the Marines all the way through the city for more than three weeks. Marines of the 1st and 5th Regiments, fighting alongside the Army of the Republic of Vietnam's 1st Division, and also supported by U.S. Army 7th and 12th Cavalry Regiments drove the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces out of Hue little by little and retook the city one block at a time...
On February 24, 1968, the Imperial Palace in the center of the Citadel was secured and the elite Black Panther Company of the First South Vietnamese Division tore down the NVA's flag, which had flown since the battle's start on January 31. A few days later the NVA withdrew from the city completely.
The Communist forces suffered heavy losses in this battle, losing 5,133 men at Hue; about 3,000 more were estimated to be killed outside of the city (according to MACV).
There was also a large civilian death toll, mostly due to the massacres by Vietnamese Communist forces of the civilian population of the city during their one month control of the city. In the battle's aftermath, South Vietnamese and American soldiers unearthed numerous shallow mass graves inside the city and on its outskirts containing the bodies of approximately 2,800 people killed by the NVA and VC and their systematic way of eliminating those who were considered as a threat to Communist victory.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.
The planes! The planes! -- [30 Days Through Afghanistan]
Every time I've visited with infantry the subject of close air support comes up, it must be my uniform or something. Since I've always seen the Air Force side, it's always been intriguing for me to hear about how the soldiers see them.
NATO Afghanistan airstrike kills 33 civilians -- [Reuters]
MARJAH, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A NATO airstrike in southern Afghanistan has killed 33 people after an aircraft fired on civilians mistakenly thought to be insurgents, the Afghan government said on Monday...
The incident was not part of Operation Mushtarak, a major NATO-led campaign to clear Taliban militants out of neighboring Helmand province in the south.
Karzai Urges NATO to Avoid Killing Civilians -- [Wall Street Journal]
But unlike his past pronouncements on the issue, President Karzai did credit North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces for "doing their utmost to minimize the civilian casualties."
VMM-261 inserts troops into Marjah -- [Task Force Leatherneck - in Afghanistan]
Three MV-22 "Ospreys" from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261, Marine Aircraft Group 40, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, transported a raid force into an area of Marjah in support of Operation Moshtarak, Feb. 19.
This was the first time the Osprey was used for an insert since the operation began six days ago.
PICTURES of the day: Operation Moshtarak -- [Helmand Blog - in Afghanistan]
Week 1 - Operation Moshtarak: Two Afghan soldiers replace the white Taliban flag with the national flag of Afghanistan as a symbol that the insurgents no longer have control in this area
First Line of Defense -- [Your experience may vary - in Afghanistan]
There's no doubt: At checkpoints, on patrol, and at duty stations throughout Afghanistan, the Afghan National Police (ANP) are in the fight.
My directorate works with the Afghan Ministry of the Interior to build the communications capability the ANP needs to fight crime, fight terrorism, fight drugs, and fight corruption.
General Sees Positives in Afghan Army Training -- [defense.gov]
Though training an Afghan army essentially from the ground up has been a difficult undertaking, an Army general involved in the effort said yesterday that he's seeing positive results.
Army Maj. Gen. David Hogg, deputy commander of NATO Training Mission Afghanistan, spoke about the status of the Afghan army, as well as challenges and plans for its training, during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable.
To listen to audio form this interview, click here.
To Read Transcript , click here.
Marines Do Heavy Lifting as Afghan Army Lags in Battle -- [CJ Chivers/NY Times - in Marjah, Afghanistan]
Scenes from this corner of the battlefield, observed over eight days by two New York Times journalists, suggest that the day when the Afghan Army will be well led and able to perform complex operations independently, rather than merely assist American missions, remains far off.
Taliban reject renewed Karzai call for peace -- [Reuters/Washington Post]
Afghanistan's Taliban on Sunday rejected President Hamid Karzai's latest call for peace, despite pressure from a NATO offensive and the capture of its number 2.
Dutch government collapse: Will other European troops now leave Afghanistan? -- [Christian Science Monitor]
The collapse of the Dutch government this weekend, largely over keeping Dutch troops in Afghanistan, threatens to undermine the NATO mission in the central Asian nation. And, it may signal tougher political climes ahead for other European leaders supporting a troop presence in Afghanistan...
The government - Mr. Balkenende's fourth - broke up after the liberals would not accept Dutch troops in Afghanistan beyond an August deadline.
Petraeus: Marjah first salvo in long campaign -- [AP/Washington Post]
The U.S. general who oversees wars in Afghanistan and Iraq says the current battle around the southern Afghan town of Marjah is the opening battle in a long campaign.
Our Mission is Finally Accomplished... Anyone Care? -- [David Bellavia]
There this giant scrapbook sits, still with the pricetag across the top. My wife had made this book for me that contains just about everything I have ever done in the Army...
Another page in the scrapbook has a clear acetate pouch. Stuffed inside is a thick, folded sheet of blue paper. An Iraqi ballot I stole on January 30th 2005.
The sound of mortar fire fills my ears. The desk dissolves. Suddenly, I'm kneeling on a road, a palm grove to my front. Iraq. Election Day 2005.
Key Iraqi Sunni Political Bloc Pulls Out of March 7 Parliamentary Election -- [Voice of America]
A key Sunni political bloc declared Saturday that it would not take part in Iraq's March 7 parliamentary election. Saleh al-Mutlak, who was banned from running by a parliamentary committee, is pulling his National Dialogue Front out of the election with just over a week to go before voting is set to begin.
See the light? -- [Greyhawk]
That's "the largest airborne exercise conducted by U.S. forces in Iraq since the beginning of the war" because during the war there wasn't time for exercises. Now there is - good. Troops are still operating in Iraq, but there's little doubt now that what's done is done - and that few really care much about what's next.
Zazi Pleads Guilty in Plot to Bomb Subways -- [NY Times]
Najibullah Zazi, the Afghan immigrant who was a key player in what the federal authorities have said was one of the most serious threats to the United States since the 9/11 attacks, pleaded guilty on Monday to terrorism charges after admitting to a plot to blow up the subways.
Dhimmitude -- [Neptunus Lex]
Police say (Faleh Almaleki) used his Jeep Cherokee to run down his daughter and another woman in a Peoria parking lot Oct. 20. Noor Almaleki later died of her injuries.
Almaleki is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated assault and two counts of leaving the scene of a serious accident. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The decision not to seek the death penalty comes after Almaleki's attorney, Billy Little, a public defender, asked a judge to take special precautions to ensure the County Attorney's Office wouldn't wrongly seek the death penalty because Almaleki is a Muslim.
Little requested that the office make public the process it uses to determine whether to seek capital punishment.
"An open process provides some level of assurance that there is no appearance that a Christian is seeking to execute a Muslim for racial, political, religious or cultural beliefs," Little wrote, referring to County Attorney Andrew Thomas' Christian faith.
Searching for Saddam -- [Chris Wilson/Slate.com]
The war in Iraq will always be remembered for the failures of intelligence that preceded it and the insurgency that bedeviled coalition forces long after President George W. Bush declared an end to major combat operations. Amid all that disaster, the capture of Saddam Hussein has become a forgotten success story. It's an accomplishment that wasn't inevitable. In a five-part series that begins today, I'll explain how a handful of innovative American soldiers used the same theories that underpin Facebook to hunt down Saddam Hussein. I'll also look at how this hunt was a departure in strategy for the military, why its techniques aren't deployed more often, and why social-networking theory hasn't helped us nab Osama Bin Laden.
Help me find the family of one of the famed Band of Brothers -- [Burnpit/The American Legion]
For those who can't see the video, or anything else, this is the story. A Salvation Army Captain in upstate NY the other day was going through a box of donations when he found a purple heart citation and framed picture of Richard E. Owen. (see above) I want to find Mr. Owen's family and get them the citation and plaque. And if they are the ones that threw this stuff away, I am going to find a home for it. Whether it be this guy's home townhall, or a museum or something.
Richard Owen was a SGT who served in Easy company, 2/506th PIR, the famed Band of Brothers. He died in the plane crash at St Mere Eglise on June 6, 1944.
A trip into the past...for a brother who died 25 years before I was born -- [Burnpit/The American Legion].
I am consumed by the story of Richard E. Owens, SGT, Easy Company, 2/506 PIR. Absolutely consumed. I've spent the day calling folks when I am afraid of the phone, reading census reports, and just blindly contacting folks on the off chance that they can help. So, let me tell you what we now know, what we think, and what comes next...
I'm working with another guy on this, from the Pathfinder Historical Consultants. I want to share his nutshelling, since he did it better than I could...
A Quick Bleg for Cooking with the Wounded -- [Laughing Wolf/Blackfive]
Okay, kicking off fundraising for the year one day before the Haiti earthquake was not the best timing in the world...
Military Athletes Strive for Gold in Vancouver -- [DoD Live]
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program biathlete U.S. Army Sgt. Jeremy Teela shoots to a ninth-place finish in the Olympic men's 10-kilometer sprint at Whistler Olympic Park in British Columbia, Canada, Feb. 14, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps
For more photos, stories and videos, check out the Military Olympians special on Defense.gov, and read here about the soldiers on the U.S. men's bobsled team.
David Petraeus speaks at Princeton University -- [TigerHawk]
More than four years ago, long before the "surge" and victory in Iraq, (then Lt.) General David Petraeus spoke at Princeton, and your blogger was there to cover it. Both security and attendance were lax, and the general gladly acceded to my request for a photo... Today, General Petraeus is back on campus to receive the University's James Madison Medal...
This time, General Petraeus spoke before a packed audience in Alexander Hall's Richardson Auditorium. Security was tight, and you needed both a reservation and a photo ID to get in.
General Petraeus spoke without slides, but he did put up a couple during the Q&A. The first is a graph of the violence in Iraq, and its precipitous fall after the first few weeks of the "surge." It will be familiar to readers of "milblogs," but probably not to most of his audience in Princeton today.
Shinseki: US will fix broken VA disability system -- [AP/Stars and Stripes]
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said he's making it a top priority this year to tackle the backlog of disability claims that has veterans waiting months - even years - to get financial compensation for their injuries.
Among those waiting for relief are sick Vietnam and Gulf War veterans to whom the former Army commander feels an allegiance and who have long felt ignored.
Beauty and the Blogger -- [TSO/This Ain't Hell]
When Caro and I finally kissed that night, I made that promise. I knew I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life. But, at some point it takes more of a promise than a mere kiss, and that time has come. So, this weekend I will be flying down to Dallas to ask her to marry me.
Actually, I already flew down. And as you are reading this, so is she, as she sits in the USO center with her friends and me standing awkwardly behind her. So, Caro, if you think you'd like to take this idiot guy who loves you with all his heart, now would be a good time to turn around and tell me so.
Blogger helps expose alleged military faker -- [Military Times]
Report: Investigators overlooked McChrystal decisions to keep ambushed outposts open -- [Stars and Stripes]
Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, kept a remote U.S. base in the country manned last year at the local governor's request despite warnings from his field commanders that it should be closed because it was vulnerable and had no tactical or strategic value...
"It's lunacy to deploy forces to a location simply because the unseasoned, politically driven host government so requests," said a U.S. diplomat who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly. "Bear in mind that this operation in what is undoubtedly one of the most remote and difficult locations in all of Afghanistan occurred at the time of discussion about revising our strategy to concentrate our forces in areas of dense population and strategic importance."
Gay Soldiers Don't Cause Disruption, Study Says -- [NY Times]
The study, "Gays in Foreign Militaries 2010: A Global Primer," is to be released Tuesday by the Palm Center, a research group at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The 65th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima Vets Observe Battle's 65th Anniversary -- [Defense News]
Dozens of veterans of the Battle of Iwo Jima and their families gathered at the National Museum of the Marine Corps here today to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the iconic World War II battle...
About 400 yards up the beach, Alden and his unit came upon a bunker. After taking charge of the action that demolished the bunker, Alden was seriously wounded on his left side by rifle fire. "I laid out in the open until almost dark," he recalled.
Finally, a litter bearer approached the injured Alden. "They said they'd passed me four times thinking I was dead," he said. They could not evacuate him until the next morning, leaving Alden and three of his comrades in a fox hole overnight.
Three days later, on the fifth day of the battle, Alden was aboard a hospital ship when a medic told him to look out the port hole over his bed. "That was when I saw the flag rising up above the smoke and haze," he said, remembering the scene of Rosenthal's famous photo.
Doubts Raised on Book's Tale of Atom Bomb -- [NY Times (HT)]
A new book about the atomic destruction of Hiroshima has won critical acclaim with its heartbreaking portrayals of the bomb's survivors and is set to be made into a movie by James Cameron...
There is just one problem. That section of the book and other technical details of the mission are based on the recollections of Joseph Fuoco, who is described as a last-minute substitute on one of the two observation planes that escorted the Enola Gay.
But Mr. Fuoco, who died in 2008 at age 84 and lived in Westbury, N.Y., never flew on the bombing run...
Today's Medal of Honor Moment for 21 February -- [John Donovan]
There are six Medals awarded for actions on this day in our military history. All are from the modern era, World War II and Vietnam, and three are posthumous awards.
World War II. The shadow of Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima lies heavily on this day. All four WWII Medals were earned on Iwo Jima. Sergeant Gray survived his Medal action, but fell to artillery fire a week later, hence he is marked as a posthumous award.
Operation DESERT THUNDER -- [Greyhawk]
"I did not have sex with that woman."
The quote needs no attribution - it defines Bill Clinton's presidency like no other, and will likely serve as his legacy to the world. Less well remembered are the military actions launched against Iraq as the Lewinski scandal grew. Twelve years ago this week thousands of troops deployed to the Persian Gulf, and the United States was on the verge of war...
In response, on February 23, 1998 Osama bin Laden declared war against America:
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle / System Poll -- [Blackfive]
And so it is that I ask you, the infantrymen of Blackfive, which of the new generation of Unmanned Aerial vehicles (or Systems, if you're a nerd) has most captured your imagination, leaving you sweaty and warm during long winter nights: Of all the UAVs in the US inventory, which one would you, as an infantryman, most want to make love to?
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Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
Assault on Taliban Stronghold Yields Early Progress -- [American Forces Press Service]
Overall the multinational force has reached the "end of the beginning" of the operation in central Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, said British Maj. Gen. Nick Patrick Carter, commander of NATO forces in International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command-South, during a briefing today.
"I guess it will take us another 25 to 30 days to be entirely sure that we have secured that which needs to be secured," Carter told Pentagon reporters. "And we probably won't know for about 120 days whether or not the population is entirely convinced by the degree of commitment that their government is showing to them."
U.S. Marine Walks Away From Shot to Helmet -- [FOX News]
It is hard to know whether Monday was a very bad day or a very good day for Lance Cpl. Andrew Koenig.
On the one hand, he was shot in the head. On the other, the bullet bounced off him.
In one of those rare battlefield miracles, an insurgent sniper hit Lance Cpl. Koenig dead on in the front of his helmet, and ....
Rufus the Dog: Hero of Bravo 2-121 -- [Soldiers Angels Germany]
Soldiers with the Georgia National Guard's 48th Infantry Brigade say the outcome of the suicide bombing which took place in their camp last Thursday could have been a lot worse if it wasn't for two stray dogs they'd adopted.
Five Soldiers from Newnan, Georgia-based Bravo 2-121 were wounded in the attack. But no one was killed, and the Soldiers say that's because their dogs Sasha and Rufus attacked the intruder when he tried to enter their barracks.
Sgt. Devin Shaner sent this account of Rufus and his heroic act to the Times-Herald.com.
What Hasn't Changed.... -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
...The vision of the young Medic holding the Iraqi child in his arms after an explosion. Children hiding behind US Soldiers after an explosion in a crowded market place because they know where they are safe. Photos from Operation Marjah of young Marines under fire, and at the same time protecting Afghan civilians caught in the cross fire.
NATO Holds Marjah Roads; Troops Dropped Into Key Area -- [Philadelphia Inquirer/AP]
Two U.S. helicopters dropped elite Marine recon teams behind Taliban lines before dawn today as the U.S.-led force stepped up operations to break resistance on the seventh day of fighting in the extremist stronghold of Marjah.
About two dozen Marines were inserted into an area where skilled Taliban marksmen are known to operate, an officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
MOSHTARAK DAY FOUR - THE EXPLODING PYTHON -- [The Mirror]
This was one hell of a day.
Almost as soon as we moved off in the morning we encountered a suspected IED belt: the strong ground signs a clear indication that the Taliban had scattered devices in front of us.
The decision was taken to fire the Python explosive hose to clear the immediate path. What an explosion it was too!
Site of Marjah Government Offices Seized -- [WSJ]
In a full day of skirmishing, the troops took a former police station in central Marjah, as well as the ruined foundations of the former government center.
"The government will return to Marjah, and in short order," predicted Lt. Col. Calvin Worth, commander of 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.
Progress continued to be deliberate--at times slow--in the fourth day of what the U.S.-led coalition bills as its biggest offensive since the Taliban's fall in 2001, and a grand effort to oust insurgent fighters while restoring the credibility of the Afghan government.
Four NATO troops killed on sixth day of Marja offensive in Afghanistan -- [Washington Post]
The sixth day of the military offensive in southern Afghanistan proved the deadliest so far as four NATO troops were killed in bombings and gun battles during the painstaking push to take back a Taliban stronghold. From the beginning of the operation in Marja -- the biggest joint military operation of the war -- coalition troops have encountered sporadic gunfire and a host of roadside bombs, many detected before they could cause damage or injury. But the Taliban resistance has appeared to intensify rather than diminish as U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers have taken control of key roads, bridges and the defunct government center.
NATO Says 30 Days Needed to Secure Marjah -- [Voice of America]
A top NATO commander in southern Afghanistan said Thursday that allied troops will need another 25 to 30 days to overcome tough resistance from Taliban fighters to secure the town of Marjah, six days after international forces launched a major offensive there. At least five NATO soldiers, 15 civilians and 40 Taliban militants have been killed since the start of the operation on Saturday.
In Pakistan Raid, Taliban Chief Was an Extra Prize -- [New York Times]
When Pakistani security officers raided a house outside Karachi in late January, they had no idea that they had just made their most important capture in years. American intelligence agencies had intercepted communications saying militants with a possible link to the Afghan Taliban's top military commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, were meeting. Tipped off by the Americans, Pakistani counterterrorist officers took several men into custody, meeting no resistance. Only after a careful process of identification did Pakistani and American officials realize they had captured Mullah Baradar himself, the man who had long overseen the Taliban insurgency against American, NATO and Afghan troops in Afghanistan.
Reactions to Baradar's Arrest -- [NY Times]
As Carlotta Gall and Souad Mekhenet report in today's Times, Pakistan's arrest of the top Taliban military commander, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, may be a tactical victory for the United States, but analysts also see it as a potential strategic coup for Pakistan, which has been signaling its interest in participating in any mediation efforts between the West and the Taliban.
Adam Ray -- [Michael Yon]
In the war zone that is Afghanistan, life and limb depend on noticing normally mundane things like culverts. They are a favorite hiding spot for the Taliban to plant bombs intended to kill Americans driving the roads. Hundreds, even thousands of pounds of explosives can be stuffed inside, launching our vehicles into the sky, flipping them over and over, sometimes killing all. And so, in some areas, soldiers on missions must stop dozens of times to check culverts for explosives. Since we do this every day in front of thousands of Afghans, they know our patterns. In addition to planting bombs in culverts, they plant mines and other bombs near culverts, to get men who stop to check.
Major Richard Gregory, Officer Commanding Fire Support Company, 1 Royal Welsh -- [Frontline Bloggers]
I have never felt the burden of responsibility the way I did when we came in on this Operation. Not in Northern Ireland nor in Iraq. Things went smoothly at Camp Bastion getting the guys loaded up and onto the helicopters. It was very tense flying into the landing zones but we were pleased to get out on the ground with very little drama.
Heavy mud in the fields made the going tough but when we had made it safely in to our compound after being up to our knees in the mud in the dark I thought - we have got it right. The Patrol Base is now established, however the hard work is still to be done. We now have to prove ourselves to the local population and show them that we can provide them with the security they need.
In the Land of the Stoner Cops -- [Mother Jones] HT: OPFOR
MAJOR JIM CONTRERAS was awaiting his marching orders. Literally. Stuck in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the Afghan province of Helmand, he was supposed to take his troops, along with a unit of an elite Afghan police force known as ANCOP, to secure the area around Nawa, so the people there could vote.
....A Marine captain named Andrew Schoenmaker arrived and told Contreras that when his men had first asked people in Aynak about the Taliban, they got only complaints about the police. He estimated that there were about 150 cops. "It was uncomfortable when we met them," he said. "They were all high."
We wouldn't be leaving for Aynak until 4:30 in the afternoon. That concerned Sergeant Verdoorn: "It seems like the Marines want to get in a firefight--5:30 p.m. is the beginning of fighting time." I asked Contreras about the delay and he said, "Because it is fucking hot." The Marines had to walk, and in the past few days dozens of them had collapsed from heat exhaustion.
We finally began to plod along once more, the Marines in front of us. Kids stood motionless in front of homes and glared at the Americans.
Leopards in Afghanistan -- [30 Days in Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
DAY 10 - We finally made it out of Kandahar yesterday and took a 20-minute Canadian Chinook flight here to Camp Hasum Ghar. This camp is nestled into the side of a mountain in the middle of the desert. I can tell security here is a lot different than in Kabul. This is a black out camp, meaning no lights are used at night. You can only use red lights to walk around because it's too risky to use white light. Ken and I are starting to get closer to the bad guys, and you can really feel the difference. Good bye civilian clothes, it's now time to armor up.
The reality here is, while it may be scary outside of the perimeter, I feel safe inside,
A Lively ANA Discussion Part One -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Last night I couldn't sleep well and stayed up late preparing for my discussion with the ANA soldiers. I was invited to speak with a group of ANA soldiers attending literacy training. Part of their curriculum is religious studies and one segment of the class covers infidel misperceptions. Although I am not an infidel, but considered by some Muslim extremists as one, I agreed to open myself up for questioning. I was hoping not to get into a theological debate, but just in case, I spent several hours researching the Internet and even read the English translation of the first 2 chapters of the Quran (Koran). To say the least, it was very interesting reading. My interpreter Omid and I visited the ANA Sgt Major and over a cup of chai, we discussed the morning agenda. The Sgt Major would introduce me to the class and then I would take over. We all walked into the classroom and it was completely full of 50-60 ANA soldiers.
A Lively ANA Discussion - Part Two -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...I continued the conversation by inquiring about the poppy situation here, since Afghanistan is responsible for producing 90% of the world's opium. Three provinces previously declared poppy-free have returned to growing the lucrative cash crop and had their status removed. Apparently, as more provinces resort to growing alternate crops, this unintended action has driven up the price of opium. The fundamental economic laws of supply and demand are applicable here. But I was surprised when one soldier responded to my inference that the Taliban also funds their insurgency from the poppy profits.
Marines Find Rocket Attack's Victims as Mystery Deepens -- [Danger Room]
On Tuesday, Company K of the Third Battalion, Sixth Marines visited a house in Marjah, Afghanistan, reduced to rubble by American rockets. Inside were twelve bodies. According to their superior officers, Company K had somehow been involved in the strike from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System; according to a press release from NATO headquarters in Kabul, the rockets had been a counterattack on a "compound where insurgents were delivering accurate, direct fire." But "to the Marines of Company K, and an embedded reporter accompanying them, one thing seemed clear: the company had not ordered a rocket strike on that house," the New York Times reports. "'The compound that was hit was not the one we were targeting,' the company commander said." That's not surprising. The HIMARS system is a "brigade-level asset," controlled by the Marines' top commanders in Afghanistan -- not by junior officers on the ground.
In Afghanistan, Marines handling detainees by the book -- [LA Times]
The Marines have been warned: Any rough treatment or even harsh language aimed at a detainee is forbidden. When making an arrest, they are instructed to ask their subject if he will voluntarily go with them. "We don't want any of our Marines to make a scene," said Capt. Yuri Paredes, commander of the battalion's Alpha Company. "People will think we're degrading them." Cases of detainees resisting are few; even while protesting their innocence, most go without a struggle. For the Marines, it's a test of their ability to follow orders and keep their anger in check. Most detainees are suspected of planting roadside bombs or taking sniper shots at troops. "It's hard to put our feelings aside when these guys were shooting at Marines," Staff Sgt. Jason Moore said. "But we do it; that's what makes us better than them."
Exclusive: War in Iraq to Be Given New Name -- [ABC News]
Gates writes that by changing the name at the same time as the change of mission -- the scheduled withdrawal of U.S. combat troops -- the US is sending "a strong signal that Operation IRAQI FREEDOM has ended and our forces are operating under a new mission."
The move, Gates writes, "also presents opportunities to synchronize strategic communication initiatives, reinforce our commitment to honor the Security Agreement, and recognize our evolving relationship with the Government of Iraq."
War in Iraq will be called 'Operation New Dawn' to reflect reduced U.S. role -- [Washington Post]
The Obama administration has decided to give the war in Iraq a new name -- "Operation New Dawn" -- to reflect the reduced role U.S. troops will play in securing the country this year as troop levels fall, according to a memo from Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.
Iraq Suicide Bomber Strikes in Anbar -- [New York Times]
A suicide bomber struck near the government headquarters in the capital of Iraq's Anbar Province on Thursday, the latest in what Iraqi and American officials warned would be a wave of violence before next month's parliamentary elections.
The attack -- in Ramadi, an overwhelmingly Sunni city -- occurred amid heightened sectarian tensions and came only days after insurgents vowed to disrupt the elections.
The Secret War In Iraq -- [Forbes]
General Odierno, the commander of US troops in Iraq, recently said Dr.Chalabi and his colleague Faisal Al Lami were "clearly influenced by Iran.
General Says 2 Iraq Politicians Have Ties to Iran -- [NY Times]
Gen. Ray Odierno, the senior American commander in Iraq, said Tuesday that two influential Iraqi politicians now involved in blocking candidates in the parliamentary election next month had close links to Iran, which the general said was trying to undermine the vote.
General Odierno was unusually blunt in publicly expressing concerns about the actions of the two Iraqis: Ahmed Chalabi, who was a confidant of Bush administration officials in the prelude to the 2003 invasion but now is perceived as having supplied false intelligence to the United States; and Ali Faisal al-Lami, suspected of involvement in murderous activities of Shiite militants, including a bombing in Baghdad, accusations that he denies.
Joe Biden's Iraq 'Achievement' -- [Wall Street Journal - Omar Fadhil, Austin Bay]
Honest historians will eventually discover signs of victory in Iraq during the worst moments of media-driven doubt. But some of us refused to be swept up in...
Blackwater kicked out but not forgotten -- [A World of Troubles]
Private security groups say Iraqi Police and Army have treated them with more disdain at checkpoints since the 2007 Blackwater incident.)
They are perhaps the most hated Americans in Iraq.
...Back story of Nisour Square incident
The untold story is- the Blackwater team was actually leaving a USAID project compound headed towards the International Zone, on Sept. 16 2007 minutes before the shooting began.
After the crash -- [Greyhawk]
"My immediate reaction was to go towards the smoke..."
Fox News is interviewing a guy (former military) named Robin DeHaven who works for a glass replacement company named Binswanger.
He drove to the building after seeing plane and smoke from the crash, put his ladders up to the building -- and when he saw that the people at the window were 'panicked' -- climbed into the building, and helped get five people out.
Guardsman Posts Best U.S. Finish in Olympic Biathlon -- [The Fort Gordon Signal]
at Whistler Olympic Park in Callaghan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. It was the best American finish ever on Olympic biathlon competition.
U.N. Watchdog Accuses Iran over Nuclear Weapons -- [The Times]
The United Nations' nuclear watchdog has radically increased pressure on Iran by publicly describing concerns over atomic weapons for the first time.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it feared that Tehran could be working on a "nuclear payload for a missile" in its bluntest report yet on Iran's uranium enrichment programme.
The White House responded to the report by threatening "consequences" if Iran failed to co-operate with nuclear inspectors.
Joint medical team provides caring hands for Haiti effort -- [3d Sustainment Command
Greetings from sunny Port Au Prince Haiti!!!! Remember me????....Major Paul Hayes and the 3rd ESC are back baby!!!!! That's right - only not every Sunday this time, not with the Expeditionary Times, and NOT from Iraq. If you hadn't heard your friends in the 3rd ESC are now in Haiti contributing to the relief effort on the ground.
We've formed what's called the Joint Logistics Command - Haiti. Our mission is to provide command and control to operational-level sustainment forces operating here as well as providing sustainment, distribution management, and health services support to the US Military forces here on the ground.
Poison allegations at Jackson investigated -- [ArmyTimes]
However, there is no credible evidence to support the allegations, said Patrick Jones, a spokesman for Fort Jackson. "Allegations were made and the command
Fort Jackson "plot": "never any threat, nothing credible" -- [Donald Sensing]
...It's not CID's job to assess a referral as someone shooting off at the mouth or not. That's what an investigation may reveal, and CID agents quickly develop a very good sense of what is credible and what seems not, but the procedures still get followed and the allegations run to ground. That's what CID did here and the result is that the allegation is unfounded.
FoxNews' report that "soldiers were attempting to poison the food supply at Fort Jackson" almost rebuts itself. The post's 13 mess halls (okay, "dining facilities") serve tens of thousands of meal per day. Poisoning the food supply would mean that the presumed plotters, enrolled in a training regimen and under control of their chain of command practically every moment, would somehow be able to gain access to centralized, secured warehouses where food stocks are delivered and inspected before being picked up by the units running the mess halls. The likelihood of that is effectively zero.
Military must trash jihad coverup policy -- [BlackFive - Crush]
Why are we learning of this two months after the fact? When a non-Muslim commits a violent act, such as the man who killed the abortion doctor "Tiller the killer," journalists pass along everything there is to know about the man. However when the perpetrator happens to be Muslim, and especially when the crime is an act of jihad, we don't see a name or any religious connection until the last few paragraphs - if they are reported at all.
BREAKING: Five US Muslim soldiers arrested for attempted poisoning of fellow troops at Fort Jackson Army base -- [Jawa Report]
Update: More questions than answers, but investigation is still open
CBN News has learned exclusively that five Muslim soldiers at Fort Jackson in South Carolina were arrested just before Christmas and are in custody. The five men were part of the Arabic Translation program at the base.
The men are suspected of trying to poison the food supply at Fort Jackson.
...why did the DOD sit on this info until it broke in the media? [See my update at the bottom of this post. Both CBN and Fox were told the five were arrested, and they don't know if they are still in custody, but the AP says they weren't arrested at all.]
Olympics News: Support Our Troops Banned in Vancouver -- [Blue Star Chronicles]
The Olympic news today is that Support Our Troops is banned in Vancouver. What's that you say? Yes, they've banned the use of a 'Support Our Troops' slogan
MIICAH Marketing Solutions Donates to "Operation Support Our Troops" -- [PR Web]
Proceeds from the raffle were put toward the team's effort to raise funds for Operation Support Our Troops. "I work with a great group of individuals who .
BAE Systems to Support the Troops Through Operation Homefront -- [MarketWatch]
ARLINGTON, Va., Feb 18, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- BAE Systems employees will support the troops and their families, having selected Operation Homefront to be ...
Military retirees volunteer for active duty -- [USA Today]
The Air Force, which accepts only officers, had a voluntary recall program January through December 2009 and had 386 return, said Kenneth Pruitt, media
The Necessity of the Fragmentation Grenade -- [David Bellavia]
When you got to chow and are carrying two live M67 Frags on your person; you are in a warzone. And the light clank you feel as those 14 ounces of American made vengeance bounce against the hard ceramic protective plate over your chest, is a constant reminder of who you are and what you represent. Then it came time to use said grenade. In my entire company of Infantrymen, four soldiers had tossed a live hand grenade since basic training. And those four had done so in garrison training for another combat deployment outside our Division. I had no idea what it was like. I knew the blast radius. The supposed timing of the fuse. How to toss it and how to carry it safely, but that was it. We placed our grenades upside down in a grenade pouch on our upper left side of our IBA vest. Upside down was the easiest way to remove the grenade hastily during a fight.
After 9/11 Trial Plan, Holder Hones Political Ear -- [NY Times]
Out of view, Mr. Obama's aides did far more. Rahm Emanuel and Jim Messina, the White House chief and deputy chief of staff, proposed installing a minder alongside Mr. Holder to prevent further gaffes -- someone with better "political antennae," as one administration official put it.
When he heard of the proposal at a White House meeting, Mr. Holder fumed;
Military courts are overrated -- [Chicago Tribune]
If the Obama administration is forced by politics to take Mohammed's case to the largely untested military tribunals, it is because the White House
After a year in Afghanistan, KY soldiers return home -- [WYMT]
A hero's welcome greeted the five soldiers back from Afghanistan complete with signs, flowers, and most important for Sgt. 1st Class Bruce Hollon
Sabal Palm Elementary welcomes home soldier daddies -- [Naples Daily News]
"A lot of soldiers never got a welcome home. ... I know you all can feel the love around you." Edalis Mejia, 8, said she thought the soldiers were "awesome.
US media compliments Pak, with some sarcasm -- [The Nation]
The American print and electronic media, which for years has been portraying Pakistan in bad light for failing to act against extremists, is now showering compliments while commenting on the recent arrest of a key Taliban leader.
But even some of their comments are backhanded.
For instance,...
Attacks on the Press 2009: Preface -- [CPJ]
...the media business is changing rapidly. Unable to afford foreign bureaus, more newspapers and magazines are relying on freelancers abroad. These stringers look just as suspicious to dictators and militant groups--and they are distinctly more vulnerable.
...Advocacy works, and this work benefits all of us--those of us who hire freelancers, who rely on local blogs for firsthand information about faraway countries, who work with local journalists who have the kinds of insight and connections that can only be built over years. More than anything else, it benefits our readers and viewers and listeners.
WH Changing It's Story On Terrorist Sympathizer Rashad Hussain -- [Jawa Report]
(Video) Not only did President Obama's envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference defend Palestinian Islamic Jihad's US representative Sami al-Arian, claiming that his prosecution was some kind of right-wing effort to quash dissent, the evidence of his views now seems to be disappearing down the memory hole. The story where he is quoted as defending al-Arian had been redacted to remove Rashad Hussain's statements.
Obama to Seek Ratification of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty -- [New York Times]
The Obama administration said Thursday that it would ask the Senate to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, more than a decade after President Bill Clinton failed to convince the treaty's opponents that the American arsenal could deter adversaries without ever setting off nuclear explosions.
The effort to move ahead with the treaty -- one of the steps the administration wants to take to convince the world that the United States is committed to reducing and ultimately eliminating its arsenals
Biden Seeks Test Ban and End to All U.S. Nukes -- [Washington Times]
In a speech setting out the administration's arms-control agenda, Mr. Biden also said the United States will continue to pursue President Obama's call for the elimination of all U.S. nuclear arms, but defended spending $7 billion in the coming year to repair an aging arsenal.
Blue Star Dad is First Tea Party Candidate Elected in NY State -- [Gathering of Eagles]
Dean Murray, Blue Star Dad from Patchogue, NY, won the special election for New York State's Assembly District 3!
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
Taliban 'forced from strongholds' -- [BBC]
A joint Nato and Afghan military operation is succeeding in pushing Taliban fighters from their strongholds in Helmand province, officials say.
On day three of Operation Moshtarak, senior Afghan officers said areas around Marjah and Nad Ali were being cleared of insurgents.
U.S., Afghan Forces Face Bombs, Booby Traps in Push to Take Taliban Stronghold -- [AP/FOX News]
...In Marjah, Marines and Afghan troops faced little armed resistance. But their advance through the town was impeded by countless land mines, homemade bombs and booby-traps littering the area. Marine ordnance teams blew up several dozen bombs, setting off huge explosions that reverberated through the dusty streets.
On Sunday, most of the Marines said they would have preferred a straight-up gunbattle to the "death at every corner" crawl they faced, though they continued to advance slowly through the town.
Taliban Fighters Said to Flee Under Coalition Pressure -- [New York Times]
KABUL, Afghanistan -- A large number of Taliban fighters have fled the city of Marja, their former stronghold in Helmand Province under pressure from United States and Afghan forces and may have crossed the border into Pakistan, the Afghan interior minister said on Monday.
Taliban soldiers use rules of engagement against U.S. troops-- [The Daily Caller] HT: Soldiers Angels Germany
The patrol began in the early afternoon, heading off a canal road and into farmland to the west. Fifty men: an American platoon, up to 30 Afghan soldiers and 10 Canadian troops who advise the Afghans. They moved slowly, in two columns. Two Afghan soldiers with metal detectors, searching for mines, led the way.
An Associated Press reporter and photographer accompanied the patrol.
Snipers harass US, Afghan troops moving in Marjah -- [AJC] HT: Soldiers Angels Germany
Sniper teams attacked U.S. Marines and Afghan troops across the Taliban haven of Marjah, as several gun battles erupted Monday on the third day of a major offensive to seize the extremists' southern heartland.
Multiple firefights in different locations taxed the ability of coalition forces to provide enough air support as NATO forces forged deeper into the town, moving through suspected insurgent neighborhoods, the U.S. Marines said.
The Battle for Marjah -- [Free Range International - in Afghanistan]
Operation Moshtarak, the assault on the Marjah District in the Helmand Province started today. The press has been looking at it for months from various angles with stories stressing that secrecy has been lost, or that civilians will be killed, or with speculation on why the military is publicizing Operation Moshtarak in the first place. These stories all contain grains of truth but none of them is even close to telling the real story. Here it is: when the Marines crossed the line of departure today, the battle for Marjah had already been won.
The inevitable dead -- [Greyhawk]
Afghan Civilians Killed in Offensive on Taliban
That headline could have been written before the operation started.
...But ISAF accepted responsibility, and admitted two rockets were launched at insurgents firing upon Afghan and ISAF forces, but impacted approximately 300 meters off their intended target, killing 12 civilians. In the aftermath, "the use of the HIMARS [High Mobility Artillery Rocket System] has been suspended until a thorough review of this incident has been conducted."
Caught in the chaos: Under fire in ambush by Taliban -- [NY Post]
BADULA QULP, Afghanistan -- "Medic!" Bullets cracked through the dry grass. "Medic!"
"Who's hit?" someone yelled. The American soldiers were pinned down in a ditch yesterday, bodies prone in the mud.
"I don't know!" another voice shouted in the din of gunfire.
A US soldier was down, shot in the chest by an insurgent near the besieged Taliban stronghold of Marjah. A Canadian soldier in the same patrol took a bullet in the front of his helmet, right where the center of his forehead was, like a bull's-eye. He was stunned, but unhurt.
MICHAEL YON SENDS THIS DISPATCH TO INSTAPUNDIT READERS -- [Instapundit/Michael Yon - in Afghanistan]
Last night a soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division was killed. The attack occurred just hours before the 82nd was to relieve 1-17th Infantry from duties in portions of the Arghandab River Valley near Kandahar.
Earlier that morning, soldiers from 1st Platoon, B-company (1-17th) had taken me on a short, easy mission out to a micro-base called "Brick 1." The Platoon leader was 1st Lieutenant Ryan Fadden, while SFC Dimico was the platoon sergeant. The platoon was ready. Despite the filthy environment, weapons were clean, the gear was sorted and the men were in good spirits and a businesslike frame of mind. They seemed confident. It looked like Lieutenant Fadden and SFC Dimico were on their jobs. The battalion had lost 21 men KIA during the first several months of combat--the Brigade lost 31. An article was about to be published in the Army Times which might lead one to believe that the 1-17th is not combat-ready. The author, Sean Naylor, is as highly respected as he is experienced, and so his words are taken seriously. Yet during my first week, despite serious stresses in some places, the men seemed ready.
And so ...
People, not politics -- [30 Days thru Afghanistan- in Afghanistan]
Kandahar | Day 7 - When I face a challenge, I have no choice but to stand up, face it, acknowledge it and talk about it.
There's no denying the fact there is a lot of politics surrounding Afghanistan. At the ground level, we are not a political entity; we are simply military service members from a bunch of different countries. With that said, it would be extremely easy to take our views and opinions and then attribute them, inappropriately, to the political will of an entire country.
I hope, over the course of these 30 Days, people across the world will understand that I and the people I'm talking to, have no desire to influence political opinions. I simply want to share the lives and perspective of the everyday service member.
Obama getting briefed on Afghanistan operation -- [AP]
A White House spokesman says President Barack Obama is keeping a close watch on combat operations in Afghanistan, getting multiple updates as thousands of U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers storm a Taliban stronghold, AP reported.
Afghanistan offensive is key test of Obama's strategy -- [Washington Post]
...In an acknowledgment of past mistakes, administration officials have emphasized that for the first time, U.S. and NATO forces are outnumbered by thousands of Afghan soldiers fighting alongside them. Unlike previous offensives, in which territory won from insurgents was later abandoned, the troops plan to clear the Taliban stronghold of Marja and hold it for as long as it takes to install a functioning local security system and government.
Taliban's mastermind of suicide attacks is alive -- [LWJ - Bill Roggio]
Qari Hussain Mehsud spoke to the media to take credit for last week's suicide attacks that killed policemen in Bannu. The Pakistani government had claimed that Qari Hussain was killed along with Hakeemullah Mehsud.
Winter in Kabul -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...The side streets and sidewalks were filled with a lot of pedestrians. The vendors were taking advantage of the warm temperatures and set up their display carts. One man was balancing fresh Naan bread on his head, while others were struggling to push and pull their overloaded carts. The market area was extremely congested today and we had to
inch our way through it dodging people, bicycles, carts, motorcycles, and cars. It has been quite awhile since I last seen the market area so populated. The city dwellers moved about conducting their shopping and bargaining for the best prices. What really stands out is how many of them are dressed. Some still wear the traditional garb and blue burqas, while others were dressed smartly in suits, sports coats and shoes. Yes, most everyone is wearing shoes and giving their flip-flops a break.
Round Table Discussion -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...In my attempt to understand the current state of affairs, I am trying to analyze the events of the past leading up to the present environment. But it's difficult to find historical testimony of what really transpired after the Soviets left and the vacuum of power that was eventually filled by the Taliban. Most people are reluctant to discuss the civil war that took place between the factions. Even in Khaled Hosseini's, The Kite Runner, he subtly refers to blood money without explanation. When I try to discuss this period with my ANA counterparts, they generally change the topic or offer little of value. It's almost like this is an issue of shame and perhaps only to be discussed and debated among their own people. Their nonverbal gestures speak volumes too. It's quite common when this topic is brought up, their eyes drift to the ground or they nervously clasp their hands together.
Taliban release video of 2 French hostages -- [AP]
The Taliban released a video Sunday of two French journalists kidnapped in Afghanistan in December pleading for their government to negotiate with their captors.
The video was posted on a Web site and the link was provided by Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid. On it, the two journalists plead for their release and urge French President Nicolas Sarkozy to negotiate quickly with their captors.
14 Feb 10 -- [Military Consciousness - in Afghanistan]
HAPPY VD to everyone! today we got some work done ... we swapped out a transmission on one of the ATVs, put all the other parts and pieces back together and got that bad boy up and running ...of course we had to take it for a test spin- runs like a champ...then I worked on the air brake system on one of our MRAPs-seems to be getting some moisture back in the brake chambers causing them to stick...since there is no preventive measure for this, I took off some of the air lines and sprayed some denatured alcohol in there -hopefully the alcohol will circulate around to prevent the moisture from freezing...after that I had a frozen ass-I was sitting under the truck where ice was melting and running down the concrete to my working space...all we have as a "garage" are is a roof about 20 feet high on top of some poles and a concrete pad...so all around the parking area is piles of snow...wet pants in the freezing cold is not a desired condition ...then, of course, we had to take the MRAP for a test drive...
No flight due to Georgia Snow Storm -- [Living In Harm's Way - heading to Afghanistan]
Yesterday they transferred our flight from Fort Benning Airfield to another airport in Atlanta, Georgia due to severely bad weather. Its reported that the snowstorm dumped 2 to 4 inches of snow leaving the area covered in icy roads. We boarded the aircraft only to find out that our flight will be delayed and then was instructed to depart from the aircraft, due to limited de-icing crews. Once off the aircraft, they transported all 251 of us, to the nearest Holiday Inn hotel, in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. We all got a good night's sleep and some hot breakfast before heading back to the airport for another try at departing the USA.
Winding Down -- [In the NARMY - in Iraq]
Well, our replacements finally arrived two days ago. About 10 days short, but better late than never, right? ...10 days is hardly enough time to train these guys. It's kind of like trying to drink from a fire hose. You'll get some of it, but most of it will blow right by. I'm sure these guys are anxious for us to get out of here so they can start doing there own thing. I just hope they use this week to listen to what we have to say and don't act like know-it-alls. If I here one guy say "I know", that will instantly conclude my training session. "You already know?", "Great, here's the keys good luck".
Clinton says U.S. fears Iran is becoming a military dictatorship -- [Washington Post]
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday that the United States fears Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has gained enough power to potentially supplant the Tehran government.
Ahmadinejad: Give Us a Nuclear Status Equal to that of the Superpowers -- [MEMRI Blog]
In an interview for a Russian TV channel, Ahmadinejad demanded that the West grant his country a nuclear status equal to that of the superpowers, saying that Iran plays a crucial role in the running of the region and the world. He rejected the idea of enriching Iran's uranium outside the country, and added that the era of the nuclear bomb was over. After all, he explained, America's nuclear arsenal is of no use to it in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the NATO forces are close to defeat.
Obama's New OIC Envoy Defended Activist Who Aided Terrorist Group -- [CNS News]
President Obama's newly appointed envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference was quoted in 2004 as saying an American who aided a Palestinian terrorist group was the victim of "politically motivated persecutions" who was being used "to squash dissent."
Rashad Hussain was quoted as telling a Muslim students' event in Chicago that if U.S. Muslims did not speak out against the injustices taking place in America, then everyone's rights would be in jeopardy.
Australia's jihad attack plotters jailed up to 28 years -- [AFP]
Five Muslims who plotted an attack using guns and explosives to protest against Australia's part in the "war on terror" were jailed for up to 28 years Monday, after the country's longest extremism trial.
The men, who cannot be named, were convicted in October of gathering firearms, chemicals and bomb-making instructions, along with a mass of Islamist propaganda, for the attack on an unknown target.
A joint Arab force against Terror is needed -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
In a discussion with American and European legislators as well as with counter terrorism experts from the Arab world I suggested the formation of an "Anti-Terror Joint Force" as appropriate response to the expansion of Terror organizations both al Qaeda and Iranian backed, throughout the region. Over the past few years I gave briefings to the Anti-Terror Caucus of the US House of Representatives as well as to several defense agencies on how can such an initiative start among Arab Governments and expand later to Muslim countries. These countries in the Arab world are already fighting Terrorism in general and al Qaeda in particular. Yemen, Saudi, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Iraq, and several Gulf states. They are already confronting al Qaeda and Jihadi Takfiris in their homelands and in some cases they are fighting networks backed by the Iranian regime, as is the case in Yemen, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Hence an Arab leadership on counter terrorism is the best idea to put all these resources together. The creation of an Arab special forces corps would benefit all countries involved and would be backed by many Western countries.
1345 Heroes Waiting for Adoption -- [Soldiers' Angels]
Signing up to adopt a Soldier, Sailor, Airmen or Marine is simple and takes only a few minutes. It is a commitment to send at least a letter each week and a care package each month throughout the service member's deployment.
Study Suggests More Veterans May Be Helped by Talking About Killing -- [NY Times]
...The study, published last week in The Journal of Traumatic Stress, found that soldiers who reported having killed in combat, or who gave orders that led to killing, were more likely to report the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol abuse, anger and relationship problems. The study was based on data from health assessments conducted on about 2,800 soldiers who returned from Iraq in 2005 and 2006.
Should Iraqis go to polls? -- [The News]
Seven years after the US-led invasion ushered in democracy, Iraqis making do with a few hours of power a day and living amid mounds of rubbish and pools of sewage wonder if they should vote in a March election.
"We don't trust the election or the candidates," Samir Salahuddin, a mechanic in the northern city of Kirkuk, said. "I am now searching for kerosene to warm my family during the night, yet we live in a country rich with oil." Election campaigning started on Friday with party workers putting up election advertisements across Baghdad. As in last year's provincial election, fierce competition is likely to turn cities into forests of banners and posters.
Ask America's 1st Sgt: Edition 2 -- [Castra Praetoria]
Tankerbabe asks: I've always been confused about Navy Corpsmen being so widely utilized by the Marines as medics. Please explain any reasons/history behind how this came about. Do Marines have medics or only utilize the Corpsmen?
Additionally, it is my understanding that Navy Corpsmen are widely considered Marines by the Marines. HELP!
The Marine Corps is a component of the Department of the Navy. When asked
741st EOD returns from Afghanistan -- [FOB Tacoma]
The citizen-soldiers of the 741st Explosive Ordnance Disposal Battalion have returned from Afghanistan.
The 25 Washington National Guardsmen of the battalion's headquarters detachment were mobilized for a year and provided command and control for Task Force Paladin, the main counter-IED effort throughout the country. Bombs are by far the top killer of American and coalition troops throughout the country.
"My Last War" Wins 2009 DIY Book Festival -- [American Ranger]
I am proud to announce that my book, "My Last War: A Vietnam Veteran's Tour in Iraq," has won the 2009 DIY Book Festival.
The Book Festival news release follows:...
Biden Bickers with Cheney Across TV Airwaves - [USA Today]
Vice President Biden said his predecessor, Dick Cheney, is either "misinformed or ... misinforming" as the two sparred on separate Sunday news shows about Cheney's continued criticism of the Obama administration's handling of terror threats.
Cheney: Obama Team Should Say, 'Thank You, George Bush' -- [ABC News]
"If [the administration is] going to take credit for [Iraq's success], fair enough ... but it ought to come with a healthy dose of 'Thank you, George Bush' up front and a recognition that some of their early recommendations with respect to prosecuting that war were just dead wrong," Cheney told ABC News' Jonathan Karl.
Earlier Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that Cheney "either is misinformed or he is misinforming" about what policies have been most effective in combating terrorists.
In Middle East, Clinton asks for patience with U.S. strategy -- [Washington Post]
The secretary of state ventured to the Middle East this weekend to assuage doubts that have arisen over the Obama administration after an initial bout of euphoria that the new president could quickly break the stalemates within the region, and between Islam and the West.
Missile Defense Agency goes Hopey-Changey -- [CDR Salamander]
Can we agree that there is at least 1 thing that is 100% right and 100% wrong for the armed forces of a Representative Republic; the armed forces should never adopt in whole or in an obviously derivative manner any symbol of a domestic political party, organization, or movement?
...I know that seems harsh, even for me - but I do not care if you have the Obama for President logo tattooed on the tip of your John Thomas; you have to agree that the US military should not be even close to this. This habit has a very bad history and of all nations, ours should be the last where a military adjusts its heraldic items to reflect something involving political parties.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
Bound, gagged bodies of women found in Afghanistan -- [CNN]
Four bodies, including two bound and gagged women, were found in a compound in southeast Afghanistan, officials said Friday.
The bodies of the two women and two men -- who were not bound and gagged --were found during a joint operation between Afghan and NATO forces in Paktia province Thursday.
The troops were fired at as they approached the compound during the operation, according to NATO's International Security Assistance Force. A gunbattle ensued, and many men and women fled the compound. The troops searched the compound and found the bodies hidden in a room.
5 Americans hurt in suicide attack at U.S. Afghanistan base -- [Washington Times]
A suicide bomber wearing an Afghan border policeman's uniform blew himself up Thursday at a U.S. base near the Pakistani frontier, wounding five Americans, an Afghan official said. The spokesman for Paktia province, Roullah Samoun, said the attack occurred after sundown in a barracks at a U.S. facility in the Dand aw Patan district in eastern Afghanistan, about 35 miles east of Gardez.
He did not identify the base by name or say what kind of personnel are stationed there.
Taliban claim responsibility in US base attack -- [AP]
Taliban forces claimed responsibility Friday for an attack by a suicide bomber on a U.S. military base near the Pakistani border that injured five Americans.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the attack Thursday night in eastern Afghanistan was conducted by an insurgent wearing the uniform of a border policeman.
US troops close Taliban escape route before attack -- [Seattle Times]
Hundreds of Afghan soldiers were to join US Marines in the attack to emphasize ... on the northern edge of Marjah, closing off a main Taliban escape route.
Operation Moshtarak: Preparing for the Battle of Marjah -- [SWJ]
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has released a new backgrounder, Operation Moshtarak: Preparing for the Battle of Marjah, which is the first installment in series of publications analyzing the battle for Marjah by Afghanistan expert Jeffrey Dressler. As this large scale operation unfolds, ISW will continue to provide weekly on-the-ground assessments of the major fight brewing between coalition forces and the Taliban.
The Approach to Marjah -- [Greyhawk]
..."So the "assault" will likely be over quickly, with not much boom-boom for the camera crews." I hope that proves to be the case.
Meanwhile, we discover the new mission for the 5th Stryker Brigade:
Q&A: Why the Mission in Marjah is So Important and Well Publicized -- [The Times]
Nato has deliberately broadcast its intentions. Senior officers say it is to give civilians a chance to escape before the fighting starts. Others suspect that they may be trying to lure more insurgents into the fight to wipe them out with overwhelming force
Afghanistan's very public offensive : teasing out the Taliban or walking into a trap? -- [Reuters]
Reuters correspondent Golnar Motevalli is on an embed with U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province ahead of a widely-flagged operation against the Taliban. Here's her account, going into battle.
...Operation Moshdarak, we have been told for the past two months, will apparently trump Khanjar in size and scale. It involves less Marines but more Afghan troops and more British troops. Moshdarak, which aims to take Marjah, a town said by Marine commanders to be one of the few left in Helmand still under total Taliban control, has been promoted by the U.S. military and NATO with enthusiasm and zeal.
Much has also been made of the Afghan army contribution to the operation.
The soul of Afghanistan -- [30 Days - in Afghanistan]
The beauty doesn't stop on the surface, where the rich blues, browns and greens reside. The beauty continues below the surface and if you let yourself go, you will be carried on a journey into their owner's soul.
I was taken on such a journey by two Afghan college students today. Their words were interesting and informative but they shared something deeper with me, and I felt honored.
Manizha, 21, was a little girl when coalition forces started liberating the Taliban from her country. For years, the Taliban had prevented her from going to school, forcing her parents to home school her. As she spoke of her past there was sadness in her eyes but as she talked about the future of Afghanistan, they lit up.
Mohammad, 23, and his family fled to Iran during the Taliban's rule and came back when they heard coalition forces were here.
No Armor and Afghans -- [30 Days - Day 3 - in Afghanistan]
Kabul | Day 3 - My family probably thinks I'm crazy for what Ken and I did yesterday. We walked through the streets of a Kabul suburb in civilian clothes and no body armor.
The fact remains though, that we're not crazy and we did it for multiple reasons. The first is because we wanted to talk with Afghans; we wanted to connect with them. From past experience, that's almost impossible when you're wrapped in kevlar and carrying weapons. Another reason we did it was to send a message - the people of Afghanistan are not our enemy, they are extremely hospitable, friendly and warm.
Seven - [Michael Yon]
American forces are stationed at bases far and wide around Afghanistan. Some bases are like towns, such as Camp Bastion, Kandahar Airfield, and Bagram Airfield. But mostly they are small, often occupied by only a handful of troops.
Logistics into Afghanistan is a nightmare, and it only gets worse after you cross the border from the North or from Pakistan. By comparison, Iraq "logs" was like a run to a convenience store down the road. Afghan logs are more like driving from Miami to Seattle for grocery shopping, and then driving the groceries back to Miami while under threat of attack. Not a speck of exaggeration in that statement. Enemy logs interdiction was a large constituent of the Soviet defeat, despite that the Soviet Union comprised the entire northern border of Afghanistan. When the Soviet hammer tried to crack the Afghan rock, the hammer shattered. The Soviets can easily put people in space and keep them there, but they couldn't handle backdoor logistics during their Afghan war. It's easier to keep people in space than to supply our war here.
Afghan hands -- [Your experience may vary - in Afghanistan]
...Today, the MoD operates and maintains the Print Plant machinery with only a little help from a supporting contractor. And they do all the graphic design work themselves.
Unfortunately, this level of autonomy is still rare within the Afghan National Security Forces. But the MoD Print Plant is existence proof that transition of responsibility to Afghan hands can work REALLY well.
Bottom line: The best things don't just spontaneously happen. But Afghan and Coalition hands can make flowers grow in even the most unlikely places.
Green Log Books, Orange Oranges, and Kabul Travel -- [My View; Our Mission - in Afghanistan]
...A US Navy Surgeon General several years ago had a focus to remove green log books from military hospitals and move administrative/patient sign-in sheets, etc into the computer age. (Green log books are US Government issued green, hard-covered small or large notebooks that people would use as steno pads or so people could sign into a que. I still see people carrying them around today as steno pads.) As such, there was a push to ensure there were no green log books around, particularly when he came to your office/hospitals. Pretty successful effort as the military health care system does have a pretty high-tech IM/IT systems in place.
The reason I bring this all up is to give you a comparison to the ANP Hospital where we spend most of our mentoring time.
Change of Mission -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Our mission was canceled and another unit was taking over. In reality we were never given the execution order, but we prepared accordingly. Since the vehicles were mission ready, our ETT leader decided to go on a different mission ...
...The burned out building is the result of the last attack by insurgents on the capital city. Some local businesses are trying to restore operations by selling their wares using the ground level cubicles that didn't suffer as much damage. According to a local newspaper report, the insurgent activity resulted in 5 million dollars in losses and damages.
Iraqi, U.S. forces battle militia group, five killed -- [Reuters]
Iraqi security forces backed by U.S. troops killed at least five people on Friday in a raid on suspected members of what Washington calls an Iranian-backed terrorist group, the U.S. military said.
While overall violence in Iraq has fallen over the last two years, attacks and fighting remain common as Iraq gears up for a March 7 election and U.S. troops prepare to stop combat operations ahead of a withdrawal by the end of 2011.
Iraq parliamentary election campaign kicks off -- [Press TV]
The parliamentary election campaign has officially kicked off in Iraq with 6172 candidates competing in the March 7 nationwide election.
Iraq allows 28 banned election candidates to stand -- [AFP]
Iraqi judges on Thursday ruled that 28 candidates banned from the March 7 general election for alleged links to the regime of executed dictator Saddam Hussein could stand after all.
The announcement came after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said ...
Questions on Rule of Law Raised by Leader's Use of Army -- [New York Times]
In a dispute over the provincial council's legal powers to appoint a governor, Mr. Maliki ordered in the military here -- for the second time -- to exert his influence. American military commanders and diplomats expressed alarm at his willingness to use force.
"You have the law on your side," Col. Henry A. Arnold III, commander of the First Infantry Division's Fourth Brigade, told a council member outside the besieged building on Wednesday morning. "Maliki knows it. The Americans know it. And they're going to keep reminding him of it."
Joe Biden has won, too? (Two) -- [Greyhawk]
There's an odd thing about this administration claiming credit for victory in Iraq - half the country knows Biden and Obama had nothing to do with it, and the other half will never admit there is a victory to claim. However, since they think we're all stupid, I guess the White House wants to give it a shot.
For the record, this was Barack Obama's plan for Iraq:...
Iraq Orders Blackwater Security Guards to Leave -- [Daily Telegraph]
Iraq has ordered hundreds of private security guards linked to Blackwater Worldwide to leave the country within seven days or face possible ...
Troops Carry Out 'Cool' Mission in Antarctica -- [DoD]
While the U.S. East Coast feels the closest it has come in many years to "extreme" weather, some servicemembers are facing real cold as they support the National Science Foundation's efforts in Antarctica.
U.S. successfully tests airborne laser on missile -- [Reuters]
A U.S. high-powered airborne laser weapon shot down a ballistic missile in the first successful test of a futuristic directed energy weapon, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said on Friday.
France does not believe Iran's nuclear claim -- [Washington Post]
AP PARIS -- France does not believe Iran's claim that it is capable of enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels, the country's foreign minister said
Obama Officials Wrong on Padilla -- [Weekly Standard]
Gibbs argued that the administration was right to treat Abdulmutallab as a criminal defendant, instead of as an enemy combatant. "Just because you make somebody an enemy combatant [it] doesn't make them talk," Gibbs argued. He then pointed to an example from the Bush years to supposedly support his point.
"Jose Padilla was made an enemy combatant so that we could get him to talk," Gibbs said. "And guess what happened when we made him an enemy combatant, he didn't talk. He did talk when he was transferred back into a civilian court."
...Brennan and Gibbs are wrong. In fact, Jose Padilla only started cooperating once he was transferred into the military's custody and interrogated.
Obama will help select location of Khalid Sheik Mohammed terrorism trial -- [Washington Post]
President Obama is planning to insert himself into the debate about where to try the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, three administration officials said Thursday, signaling a recognition that the administration had mishandled the process and triggered a political backlash.
Newly Released Sept. 11th Aerial Photos of Ground Zero -- [Flopping Aces]
A stunning reminder of what happens when national security is conducted with a September 10th mentality!
With the Obama Administration falling all over itself to treat terrorism as a criminal matter, these newly released photos (full size images here) are a reminder of the consequences:
Airport Body Scanners Violate the Teachings of Islam, Says Muslim Group - [CNS News]
"The Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) emphasizes that a general and public use of such scanners is against the teachings of Islam, natural law and all religions and cultures that stand for decency and modesty," the group said in a Feb. 10 statement posted at Islam Online.
Right to Free Speech Collides With Fight Against Terror -- [New York Times]
The Supreme Court will soon hear Mr. Fertig's challenge to the law, in a case that pits First Amendment freedoms against the government's efforts to combat terrorism. The case represents the court's first encounter with the free speech and association rights of American citizens in the context of terrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks -- and its first chance to test the constitutionality of a provision of the USA Patriot Act.
Saying Good Bye... -- [Knottie's Niche - Gold Star Mom]
I don't think I have ever truly said good bye to my son. There was a moment at the funeral when they had put the casket on the hearse and I wanted with every fiber of my being to walk through the parted crowd and kiss it and say good bye..but someone turned me to express their condolences and I miss my moment to say good bye to my son how I wanted to. That I didn't push through and take those steps still haunts me. Oh I had spent time at the funeral home the night before. But it was that moment I needed to do what my heart begged to do and I didn't. I hate myself for not walking through that parted crowd.
Operation Yellow Elephant: Snowpocalypse: How to Support Our Troops! -- [Operation Yellow Elephant]
If you're in the Mid-Atlantic region on the East Coast, here's one really great thing you can do to Support Our Troops: Forget the care packages. Just shovel snow from military and other families whose key member
U.S. officers disciplined over Fort Hood massacre -- [The Examiner]
The U.S. Army has found six officers guilty of negligence that let Major Hassan stay in the service long enough to massacre people at Ft. Hood. The six failed to act on Hassan's signs of brooding trouble. Some of them were too focused on their professional work to supervise carefully.
AWOL Mom gets discharged -- [TAH]
Alexis Hutchison, the single Army Mom who went AWOL with her son to avoid deployment will get an administrative discharge and a reduction in grade as a result. She should get reduced - there's no excuse for missing movement and going AWOL. But I blame her mother and the father of the child for the rest.
Breaking the Silence: Women Soldiers Speak Out -- [The Baltimore Chronicle]
Additional roles today include intelligence, technology, combat support, and as volunteer combatants. During Israel's War of Independence, women performed
Ft. Carson Welcomes Home Soldiers -- [KKTV 11 News]
A year in the field is over and the welcome home is just beginning. Nearly a hundred more soldiers returned to southern Colorado Thursday night.
Wilson and Murtha, Together in Arms --[NY Times]
As recounted in the book, "Charlie Wilson's War," then Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill asked the colorful Mr. Wilson to take a spot on the House ethics committee to help shut down an inquiry into Mr. Murtha, who had gotten caught up in the Abscam bribery investigation. Mr. Murtha wasn't prosecuted for his role, but the internal watchdog committee was looking into whether he broke House rules by not reporting a bribery attempt.
Support for Gays in the Military Depends on the Question -- [CBS News]
A new CBS News/ New York Times poll finds that the wording of the question is key when it comes to determining whether Americans support allowing gays to serve in the military.
Don't Ask Don't Tell poll, and what did Adm. Mullen say? -- [BlackFive - Crush]
Yesterday, Quinnipiac University released a poll which shows that 59% of Americans support a repeal of the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT)" policy. Reading the results, however shows that those polled - and perhaps the pollsters at Quinnipiac as well - don't understand what DADT says. I will cover this in depth in an upcoming article today, which I will link to.
To me, this poll is nothing more than a measurement of the effectiveness of the White House and an activist media' message.
Bill Clinton released from hospital -- [CNN]
Former President Clinton left a New York hospital early Friday, less than a day after doctors performed a procedure to restore blood flow in one of his coronary arteries.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
Marjah - soon -- [Military Observer]
Marines Readying to attack Marjah. U.S. Marines came under attack from insurgents armed with sniper guns and rocket-propelled grenades as they geared up Wednesday to overwhelm a Taliban bastion in Afghanistan.
Thousands of Marines along with foreign and Afghan soldiers are taking up position around the town of Marjah in Helmand, which officials say is one of the last areas of the southern province under Taliban control.
A little unconventional war -- [Greyhawk]
The plan has indeed been advertised. Admiral Mullen mentioned Marja during a pre-Christmas visit to Afghanistan,
... and multiple news articles on the pending offensive have appeared since.
Some may question the wisdom of the approach, but certainly announcing our intent is not a radical new concept. The November 2004 attack on Fallujah was undoubtedly the most widely telegraphed punch ever thrown in the history of warfare - at least since the first battle for Fallujah - even though no one expected the enemy would choose peace there.
But as for the wish that a potential enemy will "see the inevitability" rather than
Eve of battle: Marjah -- [Greyhawk]
...few civilians have managed to escape the town at the center of the operation, ...Other reports describe thousands of civilians fleeing ...Other reports indicate NATO is telling civilians to stay put.
If you're confused by all these contradictory reports, don't worry. McClatchy also adds that "a large media contingent from around the world will accompany the troops, recording their progress."
Fallujah In Afghanistan -- [Strategy Page]
For several weeks now, U.S. and NATO commanders have been talking to the media about Operation Moshtarak. This is basically a battle for control of the town of Marjah.
...in the case of Marjah, NATO doesn't want to surprise the civilian inhabitants of the city, but to warn them, and encourage them to get out. The more faint hearted among the Taliban will also flee. That will leave the hard core fighters, who can be more easily killed or captured without a lot of civilians around. This is not a new tactic, but based on the success of an earlier battle six years ago in Iraq.
Marines Plan Joint Mission to Eject Insurgents -- [Washington Post]
In the coming days, thousands of U.S. Marines will seek to transform Marja once again. Working in partnership with Afghan soldiers, the Marines are planning a major operation to flush out insurgents and allow the Afghan government to reassert control.
"We intend to go in big, strong and fast," said Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
Taliban plan to use ROE against US in A'stan -- [This Ain't Hell...]
McClatchy and Stars & Stripes reports that civilians caught in the noose the US Army has looped around Marjah in Afghanistan aren't leaving the area;
...Well, that's because the cowardly Taliban plan to hide behind skirts and let the media break up the US attack for them. They should let the Afghan Army lead the attack with a column of photographers right behind them. Let the Afghans live with our new ROE. Or die with the new ROE.
Pakistan says 'credible information' that Taliban leader dead -- [Canada.com]
Pakistan said on Wednesday it had information suggesting that Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud had died of wounds inflicted in a U.S. drone aircraft attack in January.
"I have credible information that he's dead but I don't have any confirmation," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters, as speculation swirled over the Taliban leader's fate.
Tide turning towards NATO in Afghanistan, defence chief Angus Houston says -- [The Australian]
In Senate Estimates hearings this morning, Air Chief Marshal Houston has given his most upbeat assessment yet of the security situation in the stricken country.
The additional deployment of 37,000 NATO troops and a more focused strategy and leadership were the main reasons, Air Chief Marshal Houston said in his opening statement.
The ADF chief's optimism stands in contrast to many media reports disparaging a deteriorating security situation where well-armed Taliban insurgents are able to strike at will, including inside the capital, Kabul.
"I'm of the opinion the tide is turning in Afghanistan," he told Estimates.
Gaining the momentum -- [Your experience may vary - in Afghanistan]
Afghanistan: Not deteriorating!
it increasingly seems the insurgency is loosing momentum. And in a counter-insurgency fight, momentum is a Big Deal.
A friend of mine talks about the country as if it was a bowling ball, with the insurgents as a bunch of ants trying to move the ball backward and us - Afghans and Coalition members alike - as ants trying to move it forward. For a while, the momentum was with the insurgents. But the bowling ball is slowing, and soon we may even be able to turn it around. Which is making many insurgents think VERY seriously about reconciliation.
I'll Have What He's Smoking -- [Registan]
In McChrystal's universe, this is evidence not of continued backsliding, but of mere seriousness with hopeful progress. Where is this progress happening?
Dozens of schools reopen in Helmand -- [IRIN]
Over the past year dozens of schools have reopened in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, in part due to an accommodation with Taliban insurgents, Education Ministry officials say.
Security Force Assistance Nirvanna -- [Riding Shotgun with Team Zombiekiller - in Afghanistan]
We've out doing what we do best over the last few days--which is training our companies and giving them tactical problems to deal with. Old Man Winter made his appearance here with a vengeance recently and we had the joy of taking the boys out in the snow. It made things interesting to say the least. Humping up and down the wadis was reminiscent of slipping and sliding around the red Georgia clay back at Ft Benning after a recent rain storm. Only here the precipitation was a bit on the cool side. That all being said the Afghans complained not one bit and shrugged off the cold.
Tea and Coffee -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Today was a real treat. My ANA SGT Major sipping a cup of tea.and I had an opportunity to see my ANA Sgt Major. ...The Sgt Major and I had a good conversation about various topics including corruption, history and future.
A Tale of a Printer and an Ink Cartridge -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
Being an ETT mentor is a challenge, but working with antiquated computers, printers, and software poses a test in itself. But before I get into equipment issues, I need to set the stage properly. Last night at our 5 o'clock meeting we received an administrative tasking concerning accountability of equipment, weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and communication equipment for our ANA forces. The deadline was set for noon tomorrow. Sounds simple enough, surely in eight years the ANA have developed some sort of accountability list or database to track the items being given to them.
Written 4 Feb 10 -- [My View; Our Mission - in Afghanistan]
...Our team is working hard with our Afghan counterparts on some longer-range projects. Projects include planning on what to put in a 50% complete renovated inpatient building behind the current hospital (BTW, the funding for this renovation is coming from a 3rd party country). We have the blueprints and expect that next week we will sit down with our team/Afghan hospital senior leadership to begin to solidify were departments, etc will go. The next step after that will be to ensure the right equipment is ordered as the country that donated the building...only donated the renovation costs and not the outfitting costs.
Interpreters On Facebook -- [Afghan Quest - in Afghanistan]
Some of the interpreters here at the schoolhouse have started a Facebook page. The interpreters are very important to our mission, adding the ability to communicate with and teach Afghans of all types. The Afghan National Security Forces are obviously key partners, and they need to be able to apply the principles of COIN in their own country. It is, after all, their fight as well. ...Our interpreters are patriots....
What Has Changed....And For The Better! -- [A Major's Perspective - in Afghanistan]
So here we are. I have written a number of times about why Afghanistan matters. But tonight I wanted to take a quick trip down a peudo memory lane and tell you what has changed and why its a very good thing it has.
First off, when I left last time, we (ISAF) were firmly in the lead conducting operations. I am quite happy to see that the Afghans are now the ones in the lead completely partnered with ISAF.
CSM: Zhari fight just beginning -- [Flit]
Four years after Canadians first deployed to Zhari district, here is one writer's synopsis of all that we achieved:
"In many places, as in Zhari, the battle is just beginning."
Interesting that current American forces are currently held up 4 miles (7 km) east of "Mullah Omar's mosque", aka the village of Sangisar. In 2007 there was an ANA patrol base in Sangisar, which shows how much of a fighting retrograde our time there really was.
Culture Clash in Helmand -- [Abu Muqawama]
I got the heads up on a battle brewing in southern Afghanistan a few months ago. Not a battle between Marines and insurgents, mind, but one over the appropriate tactics to fight the Taliban. Specifically, I heard the staff of Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson's MEB was getting frustrated by being forced to essentially camp out on the population and, Marines being Marines, wanted to go chase the bad guys. Now this from today's Washington Post:
"I'm not a big fan of the population-centric approach. We can't sit still. We have to pursue and chase these guys," said Col. George Amland, deputy commander of the Marine expeditionary brigade in Helmand province. "I haven't seen any evidence it's working. The only thing that's working is chasing them."
I've heard Col. Amland is a thoughtful officer, but I wonder if he's thoughtful enough to recognize that a) his decades-long education as a Marine officer might have prejudiced him toward a preference for violent offensive operations and b) many counterinsurgents through the years have been in exactly the same spot where Col.
AFGHANISTAN: Avalanches, floods wreak havoc -- [IRIN News]
Avalanches on a highway north of Kabul killed at least 15 and injured 55 on 8-9 February, according to the Ministry of Public Health .
Iraq oil pipeline sabotaged -- [AFP]
A pipeline carrying crude oil to a refinery in Baghdad has been sabotaged only days after going back online following years of being the target of attack, the oil minister said on Wednesday.
"Yesterday (Tuesday) evening, criminals sabotaged the pipeline with a bomb at Rashidiya, north of the capital," Hussein al-Shahristani said.
Executive Director of Iraq's Justice and Accountability Commission Denies Acting on Iran's Agenda -- [MEMRI Blog]
Ali Al-Lami, executive director of Iraq's Justice and Accountability Commission, has denied that he has acted according to an Iranian agenda.
He claims that the Appeals Panel took its decision to abrogate the order banning elections candidates issued by his Commission a day after a meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Iraq.
Former Iraq PM: poll ban risks civil war -- [Reuters]
A ban on election candidates accused of links with Saddam Hussein's Baath party threatens to drag Iraq into civil war, a former prime...
Reuters: US military releases Iraqi photographer -- [AP]
An Iraqi freelance photographer who worked for Reuters has been released by the U.S. military after 17 months in detention in Iraq, the news agency reported Wednesday.
Mild earthquake rattles Chicago area -- [Chicago Breaking News]
... Felt like the same type of shaking that woke me during the last earthquake in Illinois, though didn't last as long. Lincoln Square, Chicago. ...
Guard Transports Emergency Workers During Blizzard -- [National Guard]
... With more than 30 inches of snow falling on the city Saturday, even the District's top cop was affected. A Humvee driven by DC Guard ...
Video: Nigerian Massacre Caught on Tape -- [Jawa Report]
A brief deviation from the usual video of Islamists murdering apostates, hostages, non-Muslims, or other Muslims who just weren't Muslim enough for them. This video shows what appears to be the Nigerian military killing unarmed prisoners alleged to be part of an Islamist movement which rebelled against the central government.
Haiti Relief Efforts Continue, but Some Come Home Changed -- [Sgt Styker]
The tragedy on January 12, 2010 was far away, but it's the biggest tragedy on this hemisphere in a long, long time. As usually happens when world disaster strikes, the United States (and some other nations) sprung into action, making sure the people of Haiti (though they may be poor) have what they need to survive. Survivors were pulled out of the rubble for many days after.
..."It was an experience I'll never forget," said Capt. Justin Pautler, a 107th C-130 pilot. "Whenever you can utilize your training for the benefit of others, it's a good thing."
Rafsanjani: NATO Forces On Iran's Border Endanger Iran -- [MEMRI Blog]
Iranian Expediency Council chairman Hashemi Rafsanjani has said that the deployment of NATO forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Azerbaijan will constitute a serious threat to Iran, and that the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the Gulf countries will harm those countries
Obama Accuses Iran of Attempt to Build Bomb -- [The Times]
President Obama accused Iran yesterday of trying to build a bomb after Tehran's nuclear scientists began enriching uranium closer to weapons grade in defiance of the United Nations.
China Unlikely to Veto Iran Sanctions -- [The Times]
Now that Russia is exhibiting mounting disenchantment with Iran, a longtime ally, attention will be focused even more closely on China -- the country which, of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, is the most opposed to sanctions.
Chinese see U.S. Debt as Weapon in Taiwan Dispute -- [Washington Times]
China's military stepped up pressure on the United States on Monday by calling for a government sell-off of U.S. debt securities in retaliation for recent arms sales to Taiwan.
A group of senior Chinese military officers also said in state-controlled media interviews that Beijing's leaders should boost defense spending and expand force deployments in the wake of the Pentagon's announcement last month of a new $6.4 million arms package for the island state claimed by Beijing.
Brennan: Our critics are helping al-Qaeda -- [Hot Air]
...isn't that remarkably similar to the type of thing the Left accused the Bush administration of saying? In fact, that's exactly what Clinton's remarks were intended to address. The motivation of dissent matters less than its relevance and truth -- and the truth is that our nation's counterterrorist professionals were not consulted in the handling of Abdulmutallab until after the Department of Justice forced a delay of weeks in getting information from the EunuchBomber. DNI Dennis Blair and FBI Director Robert Mueller didn't get a call until afterwards, and the High-Value Interrogation Groups (HIGs) hadn't yet been commissioned almost a year after Obama shut down their predecessor interrogation groups.
So who conducted the interviews?
Military cancels detainee interview in Navy SEAL case -- [BlackFive]
The military has canceled the deposition of an alleged terrorist mastermind who claimed that he was assaulted by the military following his capture last year. The law firm Puckett and Faraj, representing Navy SEAL Matthew McCabe, made the announcement on Sunday.
Former boy soldier, youngest Guantanamo detainee, heads toward military tribunal -- [Washington Post]
Omar Khadr, the youngest detainee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was 15 when he allegedly threw a grenade that killed a U.S. Special Forces medic in Afghanistan. Now, more than seven years later, Khadr is drawing the Obama administration into a fierce debate over the propriety of putting a child soldier on trial.
Would This Canadian Boy Kill Your GI With A Hand Grenade For Allah? - The Washington Post Wants Your Sympathy For Him -- [NewsReel]
Before I made Detective, I worked for six years, two months and thirteen days in uniform within the cell blocks of a major Denver-Metro Sheriff's Office Jail. We had an entire unit filled with fifteen juvenile males, all of whom stood accused of First Degree Murder. The youngest was fourteen. Each had been transferred to our adult facility because they were too violent for the local juvenile detention center to handle. Charged as adults, each was convicted and sent to prison for life. Several of the murders were unimaginable in their cruelty.
Wounded Warrior Continues To Serve - Burned Man Re-Enlists For Four More Years -- [KSAT 12 News]
SAN ANTONIO -- Tech Sergeant Israel Del Toro said he has reenlisted in the Air Force for four more years. "It was about me staying in my career field, continuing my service," he said. "Maybe it will help motivate other airman that will follow behind me."
Need your help -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Things have been busy here. And if you've been watching the news, you know they're likely to get busier. Please help if you can.
State Farm(R) Donates $50,000 to Fisher House Foundation to Say Thank You to Members of the Military and Their Families -- [PR Newswire]
State Farm, a committed supporter of the military, presented Fisher House Foundation with a $50,000 donation as a way of saying "thanks for being there" to our nation's service men and women. The donation was reflective of personal "thank you" notes America sent to ThanksForBeingThere.com where they expressed gratitude to those who have made an impact in their lives. For every "thank you" message sent State Farm donated $1 to Fisher House Foundation.
Heroes on the Home Front -- [Soldiers Angels LA]
My heart is really heavy tonight for the families of the thousands of heroes we have deployed from Louisiana.
The pictures below are of service members and their families, whom are currently deployed from Louisiana. I ask you to look at these families in the pictures. Really look at them. Soak in the atmosphere.
Still on duty -- [This Ain't Hell...]
Remember this while you're shoveling out today.
Commanders' Under Scrutiny -- [Combined Arms Center Blog] HT BlackFive
All, this article was recently published in the Washington Post, written by Greg Jaffe.
I think this has the potential of engendering tremendous discussion across the Army. I ask that you take the time to read it and am very interested in hearing your thoughts on its implications. Reflecting back on your time as former company grade leaders, both as commanders and staff officers, and looking forward as you assume positions as field grade officers including battalion command, this article articulates several topics that are important to discuss as part of our profession.
Who was that man with the purple heart on? -- [Greyhawk]
Megyn Kelly: "They lied about being war heroes, and now they might get away with it scott free."
Video here.
Another Strandlof appearance included. Strandlof was an easy take-down. I know because I did it. It took about an hour of my time, but none of the dots I connected here had been connected previously. And he's just one example - in this case, one example who showed up in political ads for Democrat candidates in Colorado. But lefties get fooled by these guys time after time after time - because they want to be fooled. They are what's called an easy mark. Con artists know this.
Megyn Kelly and Stolen Valor -- [This Ain't Hell...]
Megyn Kelly discusses the Stolen Valor Act in regards to the First Amendment with two other lawyers.
No place like home for area soldiers -- [Enterprise News]
The 169 members of the Massachusetts National Guard 772nd Military Police Company received a warm welcome home ceremony Sunday afternoon at Taunton High
Army 'grunt' gets hero's welcome home -- [The Courier News]
Like many area service personnel, he was treated with a welcome home by Warriors' Watch. The group of motorcycle riders began offering honor guard escorts a
How To Leave A Soldier -- [Salon - Courtney Cook]
You'd be surprised how easy it is to leave a soldier on deployment. You can do it with a letter. (He can't argue with you. He doesn't have a phone.) If you lay the groundwork early, saying to the soldier before he leaves, "This will be the end of us, we might as well admit it," it's that much easier. The letter won't even come as a shock.
And if you have children with that soldier? You can handle all that with a letter, too.
Interesting piece at Salon -- [The Armorer]
First, go read How To Leave A Soldier by Courtney Cook.
...implicit in her wistful acceptance of and reluctant admiration for soldiering and soldiers. Yet she left the man who fathered her children, and couldn't be there for the child of that union, when he, in a sense, left her.
I'm sure she's a nice woman. But that's about it.
The funny part, I suspect, is that she thinks she's written something deep. The irony is that it just makes the shallow stand out more.
Blogging, 10th Mountain Division Style... -- [Wings Over Iraq]
There are few jobs where your boss will actually send you an e-mail in the middle of the day, asking you to reply to his blog entry, but I do, in fact have such a job. That's because the commander of the 10th Mountain Division runs a great blog at TaskForceMountain.com, and requests that Soldiers "sound off" on a variety of different issues, from preventing drinking and driving, to offering better opportunities for single Soldiers, or finding ways to boost morale.
Conservative Activists Rebel Against Fox News: Saudi Ownership Is 'Really Dangerous For America' -- [Think Progress]
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal owns a 7 percent stake in News Corp -- the parent company of Fox News -- making him the largest shareholder outside the family of News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch.
Rep Charlie Wilson has passed -- [Star Telegram]
Charlie Wilson, the former congressman from Texas whose funding of Afghanistan's resistance to the Soviet Union was chronicled in the movie and book Charlie Wilson's War, died Wednesday. He was 76.
Wilson, a Democrat, represented Lufkin in the U.S. House from 1972 to 1996. He gained notoriety for his efforts in the 1980s to support the mujahedeen in Afghanistan against the Soviet occupation during the 1980s.
Substantive & Political Refutation On Terrorism For The GOP -- [Spencer Ackerman]
Holy God. Look at Obama's poll numbers on terrorism and the GOP's, a month after Abdulmutallab. I'll make it easy. Obama's registering a 56 percent approval on terrorism, up from 53 percent in November, in the latest WaPo-ABC poll, and he beats the GOP 47-42 on the issue. Meaning:...
Bush Was Right, Says Obama -- [Wall Street Journal]
"I think that the most important thing for the public to understand," he told Ms. Couric, "is we're not handling any of these cases any different than the Bush administration handled them all through 9/11." Mr. Obama went on to add that "190 folks"--folks presumably just like the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks--had been tried and convicted in civilian court during Mr. Bush's tenure.
Leave aside, for just a moment, the substance. Far more arresting is that Mr. Obama now defends himself by invoking a man he has spent the past year blaming for al Qaeda's growth. You know--all those Niebuhrian speeches about how America had gone "off course," "shown arrogance and been dismissive," and "made decisions based on fear rather than foresight," thus handing al Qaeda a valuable recruiting tool.
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- [Task Force Mountain]
"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" has been recieving a lot of attention recently. Now that DADT is back in the news I am interested in not only what you think, but how should any potential change be implemented? What are the potential Soldier concerns/issues senior military leadership will need to address?
More tolerance for gay troops as end of 'don't ask, don't tell' is debated -- [Washington Post]
Days before a deployment to Iraq last year, the 26-year-old soldier's sergeant told his troops that they would get to know one another pretty well over the next few months.
"I'm in trouble," the specialist remembered thinking. He feared comrades would find out he is gay. Worse, he said, they could figure out that he has been dating another soldier in the combat arms battalion for more than five years. Their careers were on the line.
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
Updating...
Taliban Prepares for Major NATO Offensive -- [Voice of America]
In southern Afghanistan, Taliban militants are digging in for a fight against NATO forces preparing a massive assault on a key insurgent stronghold.
Witnesses say Taliban fighters are bringing in weapons supplies and digging in around Marjah in Helmand province, home to an estimated 80,000 people and center of opium trafficking. NATO commanders say thousands of coalition and Afghan troops are preparing to take back Marjah in one of the biggest offensives of the eight-year-old Afghan war.
Special Forces Assassins Infiltrate Taliban Stronghold in Afghanistan -- [Times Online]
American and British forces poised to assault the Taliban stronghold of Marjah, in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, have begun targeting insurgent leaders for assassination, The Sunday Times reported...
Dear Moderate Taliban -- [David Bellavia site - Semperpapa]
The Sunday edition of UK Times Online has a report from Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, titled "Special Forces Assassins Infiltrate Taliban Stronghold in Afghanistan" in which the tale is told of Coalition Special Operations Units having begun going around the Taliban held city of Marjah looking to find and kill Taliban leadership in advance of a major offensive that will possibly start very soon.
...Call me picky, but I have a little bit of a problem with the whole thing, in my humble opinion.
Far from advancing any criticism of the Military tactics, I am very concerned with the approach taken with this operation, which is called Moshtarak or "Together".
Mainly, my question is why are we telephoning the enemy the impending attack? And now we are telling our enemy that Special Ops teams are already in the city?
British sniper avenges his friend by killing Taliban -- [Telegraph]
Fusilier Martin Williams described shooting the insurgents as a "vendetta" against those who killed his friend Robert Hunt, who was the 200th soldier to die in Afghanistan.
His skills were put to the test when his patrol came under fire after it moved into a compound in an area north of Lashkar Gah in central Helmand last Monday. He took up his position and waited patiently for enemy troops to appear. His victims included two Taliban shot in a ditch at a distance of about 800 yards, including one who was hit in the throat.
"He put his hand out as if asking someone to help but not one came," the Welshman said. "There was definitely less movement after I dropped them.
"The Taliban are used to machine guns but as soon as you get a sniper on the ground, it puts the fear of God into them."
Taliban defiant as Afghans flee ahead of assault -- [AFP]
NATO commanders called on the Taliban to surrender as troops dug in Monday for a major assault on one of the last insurgent strongholds in southern Afghanistan, sending thousands of residents fleeing.
Afghanistan's NATO head: Military push needs gov't -- [Herald-Standard]
The success of a planned major U.S.-Afghan offensive in the south depends on how quickly troops and civilian development workers can get public services up and running once the Taliban have been driven away, the top U.S. and NATO commander said Sunday.
An Epic Tragedy -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
In the past 9 months, I have met some colorful people in Afghanistan. They have appreciated my interest in their culture, history, and philosophy. As such, they provide me insights and stories you don't read about in a book or newspapers. Over numerous cups of tea I find out some interesting stories or a sneak peak about their personal lives. These personal details are cultivated by developing a relationship and gaining trust of the individual you mentor and many cups of green tea.
Love, No War -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
...In the pictures are a new fleet of ANA pickup trucks, 7-tons, and up-armored Humvees, compliments of our US taxpayer dollars. As the size of the ANA forces expands, so does their requirement to have more vehicles to transport the troops and logistics. While outside the camp today, I spotted a truck that caught my attention.
First MEDEVAC for Joint U.S., Afghan Crew -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Richard Kramer and Afghan Sgt. 1st Class Ghulam Sakhi, flight medics with the 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group/Combined Air Power Transition Force, discuss with an Afghan soldier through Shakira Azzizi, an Afghan translator, what is going to happen on a rotary wing medical evacuation from Bagram Airfield
Amnesty International is 'damaged' by Taliban link -- [Times Online]
A SENIOR official at Amnesty International has accused the charity of putting the human rights of Al-Qaeda terror suspects above those of their victims.
Gita Sahgal, head of the gender unit at Amnesty's international secretariat, believes that collaborating with Moazzam Begg, a former British inmate at Guantanamo Bay, "fundamentally damages" the organisation's reputation.
In an email sent to Amnesty's top bosses, she suggests the charity has mistakenly allied itself with Begg and his "jihadi" group, Cageprisoners, out of fear of being branded racist and Islamophobic.
Officials Confirm Kidnapping of U.S. Contractor in Iraq -- [Washington Post]
An American contractor working for the U.S. military in Baghdad has been kidnapped by a Shiite militant group, U.S. officials said this weekend in response to a statement and video issued by the group.
Iraq Militant Video Shows Abducted American -- [Voice of America]
A Shi'ite militant group in Iraq has released a video of a man it apparently kidnapped, and who appears to be a U.S. contractor who disappeared last month.
The video posted on the Internet shows a man wearing a U.S. military uniform. He is sitting in front of a flag inscribed with the name of the militant group - League of the Righteous.
On Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense said a 60-year-old American contractor Issa T. Salomi had disappeared on January 23, and that search efforts were under way.
Iraq vote row to be resolved before campaign starts -- [AFP]
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said on Monday he has received assurances that judges will resolve a simmering row over who can stand in Iraq's general election before official campaigning starts on February 12.
Around 100 lawmakers had gathered earlier at parliament for an emergency session to debate a contentious decision to allow hundreds of candidates allegedly linked to executed dictator Saddam Hussein's Baath party to stand in the vote.
Former Iraqi premier slams de-Baathification -- [The Peninsula]
BAGHDAD: Iraq's pro-Western former prime minister Iyad Allawi has denounced a commission that barred candidates allegedly linked to Saddam Hussein from elections before their disputed reinstatement on appeal.
African Taliban Appoint Special Envoy to US -- [Jawa Report]
His name is Abukar Abdou Arman and he's a long time resident of the United States and a "well-known community activist." So well-known, in fact, that I've never heard of him. Any one have any info on Arman?
How screwed up is Somalia? The African Taliban in Somalia -- who Arman represents -- are now our allies. These would be the same people that we helped oust from power through our support of the Ethiopian invasion only to find that the alternative in the al Qaeda aligned Shabaab were worse.
Ahmadinejad Orders Production of Higher-enriched Uranium -- [Washington Post]
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday ordered the production of higher-enriched uranium -- significantly beyond the levels of its regular nuclear fuel -- prompting the United States to renew threats of carefully targeted sanctions.
Gates: Tough Sanctions Could Still Work -- [Defense Link]
There is still time to toughen sanctions to pressure Iran into complying with international demands that it halt its nuclear program that many believe is geared toward developing a nuclear weapon, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here today.
"If the international community will stand together and bring pressure to bear on the Iranian government, I believe there is still time for sanctions and pressure to work," Gates said at a press event alongside Italy's minister of defense Ignazio La Russa.
"But we must all work together," he added.
Obama Challenges Terrorism Critics -- [New York Times]
The White House pushed back Sunday against Republican criticism of its approach to terrorism, calling it "not anchored in reality" as a national security debate that was largely muted in recent years roared back to center stage with an angry intensity.
Obama official accuses GOP of using terrorism as 'political football' -- [Los Angeles Times]
Reporting from Washington - President Obama's deputy national security advisor accused Republicans on Sunday of using national security as a "political football" and of being disingenuous in criticizing the treatment of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the suspect in the Christmas Day airliner attack.
Clinton Sees Islamist Terror as No. 1 Threat -- [Washington Times]
...While one of the White House's top national security advisers criticized lawmakers for politicizing national security threats, including the Christmas Day attack over Detroit, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said even a nuclear-armed North Korea or Iran isn't as great a threat to the U.S. as al Qaeda and allied jihad groups.
"The biggest nightmare that any of us have is that one of these terrorist member organizations within this syndicate of terror will get their hands on a weapon of mass destruction," she said in a Sunday appearance on CNN. "So that's really the most threatening prospect we see."
Special Delivery -- [Michael Yon]
American troops are spread widely across Afghanistan. Some are remote and accessibility is difficult. In 2008, I was with six soldiers in Zabul Province who didn't even get mail for three months. They had no email. They were on the moon. Six courageous men, in the middle of nowhere, and their nearest backup was a small Special Forces team about five hours away. Resupply to these small outposts is crucial, difficult, and would require major effort by ground. Enter the United States Air Force....
German-born US Soldier headed for OCS two years after being seriously wounded in Iraq -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
...You may also remember the extraordinary circumstances surrounding Spc. Jamaleldine's CASEVAC.
Upon landing, the co-pilot/gunner helped load the injured Soldier into the front seat without further injury. Despite the heavy small arms fire and surface-to-air fire events in the area, the co-pilot/gunner strapped himself onto the left side of the aircraft and hunkered down on the wing. The pilot flew to Camp Ar Ramadi medical pad, where emergency medical personnel provided treatment.
And now, over two years later, Jamaleldine is slated to attend Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning.
Stolen Honor as A Pick-Up Line? -- [Maggie's Farm]
Is wearing fraudulent medals of valor just a harmless pick-up line?
Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University's law school who is not involved in the two cases, said the Stolen Valor Act raises constitutional questions because it bans bragging or exaggerating about yourself."Half the pickup lines in bars across the country could be criminalized under that concept," he said.
The AP reports that defense attorneys in two Stolen Valor prosecutions are challenging the constitutionality of the Stolen Valor Act, passed unanimously in the US Senate and by acclamation in the House in late 2006. They say, the AP reports, "the First Amendment protects almost all speech that doesn't hurt someone else. ...
Absurd Stolen Valor case moves to the judicial phase -- [BurnPit - MOTHAX]
The Milblogs joined together to take this guy down, and all that remains now is the courtroom drama. You might recall from my earlier post that the ACLU and others are arguing that the Stolen Valor law is unconstitutional.
Guess what I have in my hot little hands? -- [This Ain't Hell...]
This will come out in sections. I have not been authorized to release it, but the email attached claimed it had already been "filed."
MCMANUS was previously convicted in U.S. Federal Court in California in 2002, arising out of federal criminal charges originating in Louisiana, for impersonating a U.S. "Air Marshal" and also impersonating a U.S. Army Major, both in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 912, He received a sentence of two years probation, which was later revoked for violations.
Another Update on Stolen Valor Imposter; what his real rank was -- [Bouhammer]
Below is a great article from the Houston Chronicle about McManus whom I have blogged about HERE and HERE. They highlight what his real rank was....he was a Private First Class. Yep, he never even breached the NCO corps.
GIs back from Iraq get 'rock star' welcome -- [Waukegan News Sun]
and "Welcome home!" An upstairs banquet room at the hall was decorated with balloons, welcome signs and tables decorated with stars and colorful cloths.
Ashwaubenon students welcome home Iraq veteran Steve Nolan with hugs -- [Green Bay Press Gazette]
He was stationed north of Baghdad, and said the number of troops will continue to decline. "Iraq is closing down," he said. "Things are getting better.
Child Abuse: Because of Bush! -- [Greyhawk]
or "how America's news is made".
...Tabloid data (in which our story sets out for Britain to seek it's fortune)
Somehow the British tabloid Daily Mail heard the child abuse story, and one week after the arrest they found a way to make news from Nisqually Valley an international sensation: add "waterboarding" and CIA" to the mix.
A Well-Written War, Told in the First Person -- [NY Times]
Soldier-writers have long produced American literature, from Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs about the Civil War to Norman Mailer's World War II novel, "The Naked and the Dead," to Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," about Vietnam.
The current group is different. As part of a modern all-volunteer force, they explore the timeless theme of the futility of war -- but wars that they for the most part support. The books, many written as rites of passage by members of a highly educated young officer corps, are filled with gore, inept commanders and anguish over men lost in combat, but not questions about the conflicts themselves.
...The writers say one goal is to explain the complexities of the wars -- Afghan and Iraqi politics, technology, the counterinsurgency doctrine of protecting local populations rather than just killing bad guys -- to a wider audience. Their efforts, embraced by top commanders, have even bled into military reports that stand out for their accessible prose.
"The importance of good official writing is so critical in reaching a broader audience to get people to understand what we're trying to do,"
To be fair, "fog of war" was suggested by the editors... -- [Abu Muqawama]
Elizabeth Bumiller, you are in the penalty box of the English language. Describing the many great memoirs that have been written about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, she writes these books "explore the timeless theme of the futility of war."* If that hackneyed phrase was even accurate to describe the books she profiles, we would forgive her, but since almost all of the books she describes deal with war at its tactical levels divorced from the question of whether or not the violence is realizing political objectives, it makes no sense. Here's a question: whatever happened to the authors of The Unforgiving Minute and One Bullet Away? Because it seems to me the career choices they made after writing their books endorse the utility of war.
On military blogs and social media. -- [Castra Praetoria - in Bahrain]
What is the impact of social media? Do military blogs shape how we view our military and current conflicts we are engaged in? Does it affect the way we communicate? How about the way we write?
White House press corps feels bypassed by Obama in favor of TV shows, YouTube -- [Washington Post]
Six months ago, network executives were complaining that the White House was costing them tens of millions of dollars by pressing them to carry presidential news conferences in prime time.
Rep. John Murtha dead at 77 -- [Washington Post]
Critics dubbed Rep. Murtha, the chairman of the powerful subcommittee that controls Pentagon spending, the "King of Pork" for the volume of taxpayer money he could direct to the area around his home town of Johnstown. Most of the largesse came in defense and military research contracts he steered to companies based in his district or with small offices there.
John-Jack Murtha is Dead -- [Greyhawk]
...I will pause now to say something nice about him: he was never convicted.
The Post story neglects to mention how he called several Marines killers, that they were absolved, and that they in turn sued him for libel - along with various other reasons that most veterans consider him "the second ex-Marine."
(Need more? Dawn Patrols Archives are here.)
Iraq, Afghanistan, War, Terrorism, Military, Politics, Media, MilBlogs, Dawn Patrol, Mudville
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
Pentagon Behind Obama Schedule for Deploying Troops to Afghanistan -- [FOX]
The Pentagon expects to deploy 18,000 of the 30,000 troops called up to Afghanistan by late spring, a slower pace than the White House envisioned, but necessary, say Pentagon officials, because President Obama did not want to shorten troops' rest time at home.
Mullen: Afghanistan success window small -- [Washington Times]
U.S. 'imperiled' if war not won, Joint Chiefs chairman warns
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday the next 12 to 18 months will be critical in reversing momentum gained by insurgents in Afghanistan, with nothing short of the war-torn nation's security at stake.
Not only that, Adm. Mike Mullen told the Senate Armed Services Committee: "Our future security is greatly imperiled if we do not win the wars we are in."
US Marines facing a 'different war' in Afghanistan -- [AFP]
For the US Marines deployed to the battlefields of southern Afghanistan, life is fragile and thoughts focus on the day they see their families again, but something about this war is different. They are preparing for an offensive on Marjah, one of the Taliban's big urban strongholds in the southern province of Helmand, but progress is slow with the militants apparently preferring fight to flight.
The Marines will soon be joined by tens of thousands more soldiers, the lion's share of the 30,000-strong troop surge promised by US President Barack Obama in December to try and turn around the grinding Afghan war.
Predators pound terrorist camp in North Waziristan -- [Long War Journal - Bill Roggio]
A swarm of unmanned US aircraft pounded an al Qaeda camp today in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan.
Five unmanned US strike aircraft, likely the Predators and Reapers, are reported to have fired 18 missiles at a camp and vehicles in the village of Datta Khel, a known al Qaeda and Taliban stronghold. This is the largest recorded US airstrike in Pakistan, indicating a top al Qaeda, Taliban, or Haqqani Network leader, or leaders, may have been present.
Eyes in the Sky -- [Army Live]
Being a Soldier in the United States Army is a full-time job. No one understands that more than the Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division's unmanned aerial vehicle cell. Twenty-four hours a day they monitor the 3rd HBCT's area of operation from above. "We are always on the lookout for the bad guys," said Staff Sgt. Ray Lemlin, a platoon sergeant in Company A, Brigade Special Troops Battalion. "The goal is always to spot them before they can hurt us."
Revenge on the Taliban, from 10,000 feet -- [Washington Post]
In their joint operations against Taliban militants hiding in the tribal areas, the United States and Pakistan seem to have embraced a classic bit of battlefield advice: Don't get mad, get even.
...Although Pakistan publicly criticizes the drone attacks, the administration official stressed that the recent campaign "is being done in full concert and cooperation" with the Pakistani government. "We've been very pleased with the extent of the cooperation," the official said, adding that the so-called box of geographical coordinates within which the Pakistanis allow the Predators to operate was wide enough to allow attacks on targets that are "geographically dispersed."
Pakistan blast kills US soldiers (Video) -- [BBC]
Three US soldiers are among at least 10 people killed when a blast hit a convoy near a school in north-west Pakistan. Police said around 70 people, including 63 school girls and a US soldier, were injured in the bombing in Lower Dir.
The soldiers were believed to have been training Pakistan's Frontier Corps in counter-insurgency operations.
The two governments deny substantial numbers of US troops are based inside Pakistan, where public opinion is strongly opposed to their presence.
3 G.I.s Killed in Pakistan. Now Can We Start Treating This Like a Real War? -- [Danger Room - Noah Shachtman]
Last year, President Obama and his administration ruled out sending U.S. ground forces into Pakistan. Instead, the White House said, America's clandestine operations there would be waged solely by remote-control -- with Predator and Reaper drones. "There is a red line," said special envoy Richard Holbrooke. "And the red line is unambiguous and stated publicly by the Pakistani government over and over again: No foreign troops on our soil." Yet today, three U.S. soldiers were killed and two more were wounded
Never take it for granted -- [One Marine's View - in Afghanistan]
When we lose a warrior, a part of you goes with them....
...From the smiles of children walking down a street of a recently liberated village to the compassion of our young Marines that tend to those same children after recently slugging it out with the enemy, I often ask "Where do we get such men?" Such men that will sacrifice themselves to protect others they have never met? To demonstrate a nearly inconceivable wrath of weaponry onto the enemy and in a split second later help a young child or elderly man out of the street, sometimes even before the battle is over?
He is a Marine and willing to sacrifice everything to make something bad better off and make a difference. They will not be forgotten.
It's the Economy, Undergraduate -- [At War]
What do they think of all this back there, in your world?
I knew what answer he expected because of the surprise that registers on such soldiers' faces when I offer a different one. He expected that in my world of left-leaning professors and privileged students, the war he and his unit were waging would be viewed with scorn or disgust, and maybe that he and his profession would be, too.
That wasn't the case, I told him. From his expression, what I told him was worse: that in my world (if it really is my world, but that's another question) most students -- young people who are his peers, at least in terms of age and video games and music -- rarely spare his war more than a passing thought.
Around ANA Land -- -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
One of my stops today was the proposed site for the new library and literacy program. The ANA Garrison commander has designated some room space inside a large building to accommodate these programs. The current library is compressed into a small room and the shelves are sparsely stocked. There are 99 books for the entire library.
Dari Keyboard -- [Afghanistan My Last Tour - in Afghanistan]
For the past few days, I have been working studiously with my ANA counterpart on accountability. The tool I'm using is an Excel Spreadsheet. For anyone who has basic knowledge of computers and programs, this program is fairly easy to use once the formulas are created. Then it's just a matter of populating the data points. But for someone who only has a rudimentary knowledge of computers and a high school degree (Afghanistan level), it becomes rather challenging to explain basic algebra, formulas, etc. As such, I have finally made headway and when my counterpart does understand, it's like a bright light comes on in his head. For me, it's just another small victory in mentoring.
Taking Tea with the Taliban -- [Commentary Mag - Michael Rubin]
Addressing the nation on December 1, 2009, President Barack Obama laid out the case for an augmented American presence in Afghanistan to battle the Taliban forces seeking to push their way back into power. "Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al-Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government," he declared. The president offered a brief account of the Taliban's rise to power before the U.S. tossed them out in November 2001. "Al-Qaeda's base of operations was in Afghanistan," he said, "where they were harbored by the Taliban--a ruthless, repressive, and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere."
New Afghan police officers graduate -- [Helmand Blog]
The first class of Afghan police officers to attend a new training centre graduated in a ceremony in Helmand yesterday.
More than 130 recruits of the Interim Helmand Police Training Centre attended the event in the Lashkar Gah district. The centre was set up last month to help with the recruitment push for 160,000 police officers across Afghanistan by the end of this year. From March, the centre is expected to train 2550 students a year.
Helmand deputy governor Sattar Marzakwal told the graduates: "You have the responsibility of serving the Afghan people with dignity.
U.S. military officers could face punishment over ambush in Afghanistan -- [Washington Post]
A military investigation into an ambush that left nine Americans dead recommends that the Army consider taking disciplinary action against three U.S. commanders who oversaw the 2008 mission to send troops to the remote Afghan outpost, defense officials said Tuesday.
Afghans protest to Iran over border killings -- [Reuters]
Afghanistan protested on Tuesday against what it said was the killing of five of its nationals by Iranian border forces. Host to millions of Afghan refugees for decades, Iran is also a key transit route for Afghanistan's opium and heroin trade.
The incident happened on Monday when a group of seven Afghans were trying to enter Iran, an Afghan foreign ministry official said, adding all were teenage males.
Bomb kills 20 in Iraqi Shi'ite city of Kerbala -- [Reuters]
A bomb on a cart pulled by a motorcycle killed at least 20 in a crowd of Shi'ite pilgrims on Wednesday in Iraq's holy city of Kerbala where hundreds of thousands have gathered for a religious rite, police said.
Obama, Biden meet with Iraqi VP -- [AFP]
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden met Monday with Iraq's Sunni Vice President, Tariq al-Hashimi, and discussed the importance
Iraq court lifts ban on hundreds of candidates -- [Atlanta Journal Constitution]
An Iraqi appeals court Wednesday struck down a ban imposed on hundreds of candidates for suspected ties to Saddam
Blair Called a Liar in Iraq Inquiry -- [NY Times]
Only days after Tony Blair offered an impassioned defense of his decision to take Britain to war in Iraq, a cabinet minister who resigned over the war delivered a blistering condemnation of the former prime minister on Tuesday, accusing him of "conning" her and of deceiving his cabinet, the Parliament and the public in his resolve to have Britain join the United States in the invasion of 2003.
Multiple Air Force crews, Landstuhl staff team up to save Peace Corps member injured in Kazakhstan -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany ]
What an amzing story. We all hear so many negative things that it's sometimes easy to forget how many wonderful, dedicated people there are in this world. And when multiple teams across Central Asia, Europe, and the US come together save a life, they can make miracles happen.
Iran hints at prisoner swap for 3 U.S. hikers -- [Washington Times]
President signals shift on uranium
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday proposed a swap of Iranians in U.S. prisons for three American hikers being held in Tehran.
In a television interview, Mr. Ahmadinejad also said Iran was ready to send its uranium abroad for further enrichment as requested by the United Nations, signaling a major shift in the Iranian position on the issue.
US Denies Speaking to Iran About Prisoner Swap -- [Voice of America]
The United States has denied speaking to Iran about a prisoner exchange after Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tehran has held discussions about such a swap.
Ahmadinejad backs deal to remove bulk of enriched uranium from Iran -- [Washington Post]
A long-dormant proposal to remove the bulk of Iran's enriched uranium from the Islamic republic appeared to be revived Tuesday as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran had "no problem" with a deal initially brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The deal, which Iran formally rejected weeks ago, would swap low-enriched uranium for fuel for a research reactor that produces medical isotopes. "If we allow them to take it, there is no problem,"
US wary as Iran president agrees nuclear deal terms -- [BBC]
The US has reacted warily after Iran appeared to accept a deal to swap enriched uranium for nuclear fuel.
Emergency Assistance Still Hasn't Reached Many Haitians -- [Washington Post]
Three weeks after a powerful earthquake destroyed Haiti's capital, aid officials are still seeking to reach hundreds of thousands of desperate people who apparently have not received food and shelter from an expanding international aid operation, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
China's threat to sanction US firms in arms sale could backfire -- [Los Angeles Times]
In Washington, a White House spokesman said it would "not be warranted" for China to slap sanctions on the US companies over the Obama administration's
Corrected: Obama to meet Dalai Lama despite Chinese warnings -- [Reuters]
He offered no details on how China would impose sanctions. Companies that could be affected by Chinese sanctions include Sikorsky Aircraft Corp,
Panetta: Terror Attack in US Likely Soon -- [Military.com/AP]
Al-Qaida can be expected to attempt an attack on the United States in the next three to six months, senior U.S. intelligence officials told Congress.
The terrorist organization is deploying operatives to the United States to carry out new attacks from inside the country, including "clean" recruits with a negligible trail of terrorist contacts, CIA Director Leon Panetta said. The chilling warning comes as Christmas airline attack suspect, Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutullab, is cooperating with federal investigators, a federal law enforcement official said Tuesday.
Would-be LAX terrorist's prison sentence overturned as too lenient -- [Los Angeles Times]
A divided appeals panel rules that the 22-year sentence for an Al Qaeda operative didn't follow guidelines. He had originally agreed to cooperate with authorities for a lighter sentence but reneged.
Bill Would Forbid Civilian 9/11 Trials -- [Military.com/Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
Saying America can't afford the costs or the threat to national security, U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and a bipartisan group of other senators introduced legislation Tuesday that would forbid public funding for a civilian trial of those accused of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Instead, the senators want the government to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged to be the Sept. 11 mastermind, and other terror suspects in a military courtroom at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
DOJ's New Tool Against Criticism: New Media -- [FOX]
Facing mounting pressure from both Democrats and Republicans over its handling of recent terrorism cases, the Justice Department is taking unprecedented steps to push back against critics.
Last night the Justice Department unveiled an entire web page -- titled "The Criminal Justice System as a Counterterrorism Tool" -- to address the growing debate.
One DOJ official described the new web page as an effort "to get the facts out there" and show that "the policy for handling these terrorism cases has not changed" from the way previous administrations handled such cases.
Brennan: All Transferred Detainees Who Returned to Terrorism Were Released by Bush, No Recidivism for Those Released by Obama -- [ABC News]
n a letter to congressional leaders sent Monday night, White House adviser John Brennan, the assistant to President Obama for homeland security and counterterrorism, argued that President Obama had made "significant improvements to the detainee review process" under President Bush and pointed out that all the former detainees released or transferred who have returned to terrorist activities were released or transferred under President Bush.
Is there an adult in there somewhere? Bueller? Bueller? -- [The Armorer]
It sure doesn't look like it.CNN's Steve Brusk tweets: "Law enforcement source says AbdulMutallah has been providing useful, current, and actionable intelligence. Leads being actively chased."Heh. This is smoke and mirrors, pure and simple.Let's take it at face value.It's been a month since AbdulMutallah proved himself an inept murderer-by-suicide. Hell, he's not even as successful as Achmed the Dead Terrorist.
MI5 hunting breast implants of death -- [WND]
Authorities alarmed by possibility of surgically placed bombs
Agents for Britain's MI5 intelligence service have discovered that Muslim doctors trained at some of Britain's leading teaching hospitals have returned to their own countries to fit surgical implants filled with explosives, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin. Women suicide bombers recruited by al-Qaida are known to have had the explosives inserted in their breasts under techniques similar to breast enhancing surgery.
Impact of deployment on kids -- negative reporting and troop bashing hurts them too -- [You Served]
I highlighted the area in bold text below that needs a LOT of attention brought to the matter. Negative reporting on the war, and the lack of support of the war and our troops affects the morale of everyone -- including our military children. I am so sick and tired of the BS line "we support our troops but not the war." It's not true. It's contradictory and this report here shows how that very attitude is not only unsupportive, but it is outright harmful to the children of our deployed troops.
I am going to print out a copy of the actual report and will write up some more.
Interview with Lorrie Nichols of The Journal of An Army Wife -- [Army Wives Lives]
Lorrie Nichols, who blogs at The Journal of an Army Wife, answered our questions about her life as an Army Wife
...Tell us a little bit about your military spouse journey.
Mike is in the Army National Guard. He hasn't been deployed, yet. He served in the Air Guard for six years, then spent several years as a civilian, and joined the Army Guard last October. We have been married for 2 1/2 years, but I have only been a military spouse for about 4 months.
What are the challenges of being a military spouse?
Military time doesn't necessarily coincide with real world time.
The Predictably Unpredictable Army Strikes Again.... -- [SpouseBuzz - Andi]
My husband has been TDY on many, many occasions throughout our marriage. I wish now that I had kept track of it because I don't know if my guesstimate of 3-4 years is on target. As for non-TDY, more permanent deployment bye-byes, we've had two. One for a year and one for seven months. Both times, we had ample warning. Both times we knew approximately when he was leaving. Both times, the house became cluttered for weeks with gear that would accompany my husband to his destination. On both occasions, I had time to process what was happening, and prepare for it.
A couple of weeks ago, my husband came home late at night, quickly packed, and was gone the next morning. It was so odd.
There was no warning. No time frame to process. No time to prepare, physically or emotionally.
They Ache -- [SpouseBuzz - Sarah]
This deployment has flown by for me because I've been distracted with my pregnancy. It's a major event that keeps my mind off missing my husband. When I do think of him, they've been self-centered or baby-centered thoughts: I wish he were here to feel the baby kick, or fetch me a glass of water, or discuss middle names in person. I've also tried to come up with some silver linings for why it's better that I've been alone all this time. And I have contingency plans in case my husband doesn't make it home in time;
Military OneSource Tax Filing Services -- [Military OneSource]
Military OneSource brings you H&R Block At Home® (formerly TaxCut) online tax filing through the Military OneSource Web site and telephonic tax consultations by calling our tax hotline at 1-800-730-3802. Prepare your 2009 state and federal taxes with this easy-to-use program. Provided by the Department of Defense, H&R Block At Home® is and free to active duty, National Guard, and Reserve service members and their families. Have questions? See our FAQs.
Tax consultants are available 7 days a week from 7 am - 11 pm ET by calling the Military OneSource Tax Hotline at 1-800-730-3802.
Please Note - You must use the link on the Military OneSource Web site to access our customized product and create your account. Do not go to the public H&R Block Web site to create a user account.
Wounded Warrior returns to West Point as WTU Commander -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
Capt. Scott M. Smiley is a Soldier, infantryman, Airborne Ranger, combat diver, mountain climber, skier, tri-athlete, surfer, husband, father, and now Company Commander of West Point's Warrior Transition Unit.
He's also blind.
Law barring lies about military medals faces test -- [Washington Post]
A federal law against lying about military medals is facing First Amendment challenges in Colorado and California. Lawyers in both cases have made similar arguments against the Stolen Valor Act, saying that lying is protected by the First Amendment unless it does real harm.
Why Stolen Valor doesn't violate 1st Amendment -- [This Ain't Hell...]
Last month I wrote about the Denver Post going squishy on Richard Strandlof's impending trial for a violation of the Stolen Valor Act. The Post wrote that convicting him would violate his 1st Amendment right to free speech. Well, apparently, there's some case law that says otherwise.
In 2008, Xavier Alvarez, while running for office on his local water board made the following statement on the campaign trail
Air Force Academy creates worship area for pagans, Druids -- [USA Today]
The Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs is establishing a worship area for followers of Earth-centered religions -- Wiccans, Druids, witches, pagans -- on a hill overlooking the campus, the USAFA says.
The Wiccan Cross -- [Greyhawk]
How would you complete the following sentence?
"Leaving a cross at a Wiccan* assembly area on a college campus is the equivalent of ____." (Consider the "blank" to be as long as you need.)
Why, the person who did this must be a ______.
Did you say "anonymous Christian supremacist"? Me neither.
Know why? Because first be not stupid is a good motto. At least that's what I always say.
Shorn -- [OPFOR - Lt Col P - heading home from Afghanistan]
am I of two constant companions since mid-August of last year-- my 9mm and my M4. I turned both in today, duly cleaned (and with a small net gain of ammo, to boot). I feel oddly under-dressed without them. I also removed the tourniquet and IBD that had been in my sleeve pockets for six months. Again, it doesn't feel quite right not to have them on board.
In about 24 hours or so I'll be airborne (!) back to the States, and this whole thing will be nearly done. That is the strangest feeling of them all.
If Not Now, When?: Duty and Sacrifice in America's Time of Need Wins 2010 Colby Award -- [PR Newswire]
(Chicago, Illinois, February 3, 2010) The military memoir by Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Jack Jacobs, USA (Ret.) has won the 2010 Colby Award.
Named for the late Ambassador and former CIA Director William E. Colby, the Colby Award recognizes a first work of fiction or non-fiction that has made a significant contribution to the public's understanding of intelligence operations, military history, or international affairs. The $5,000 award will be presented by Tawani Foundation in association with the Pritzker Military Library ...
CSI: Miami - Promoting the Good in Iraq -- [A Soldier's Perspective]
Many of us have seen the MSM misrepresent or not even report the good things that our military is doing in Iraq. We see TV shows and movies on the big and small screen that stand on either side of the issue. Some are very elaborate and in your face while others are more subtle. The latter was the case in last nights episode of CSI: Miami.
I don't always watch the show, sometimes I watch "Castle", so I didn't know that Cain's son had enlisted in the Army and been sent to Iraq. At the end of the episode they showed Cain signing into a video conference on his computer. The picture we see on the computer screen is Cain's son, in battle fatigues and in Iraq. There are the usual parent/child pleasantries and concerns passed from one to another. They could have ended the scene with that, but they didn't. They go on to have Cain's son talk about rebuilding the schools and how happy the kids are to have them.
Jeremy Renner nominated for best actor in 'The Hurt Locker'
"The Hurt Locker" honored with 9 Academy Award Nominations, including Best Picture
Cast includes TAPS mentor Brian Geraghty, Film depicts military's unsung heroes
Jeremy Renner nominated for best actor in 'The Hurt Locker'
'The Hurt Locker' may rewrite script on Iraq war movies -- [NY Daily News]
..."Maybe the winds have shifted, and people are willing to think about the war in cinematic terms," says Mark Boal, who was embedded in Iraq in '04 as a freelance journalist and is now nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for "Locker."
"'Hurt Locker' works as a magnifying glass on Iraq," says Boal, "but there's also a purely experiential level to it. Even for me, as a regular popcorn-buying member of the public, it's more than a war film."
Seeking balance: the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review -- [Foreign Policy Review]
he Defense Department today released the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, its Congressionally-mandated examination of defense programs and plans. The review is the latest milestone in Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates's campaign to focus the Defense Department on the need to win today's wars. As such, it is to be applauded. However, in concentrating on that goal, it too often shortchanges other challenges.
In its language, the 2010 QDR has clearly been Obamacized. It reads more like a corporate annual report than a strategy to guide the world's most powerful military, one that has been at war for most of the last decade. One is at pains, for example, to find in the document's 105 pages the word "win" (as in, "win the war in Afghanistan").
Don't ask Don't Tell -- [Greyhawk]
Gates and Mullen testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee, livestream:
Gates' prepared statement for the committee here.
That last line bears particular note - it's the often-ignored but fundamental and key truth at the heart of the issue - and it can't be repeated enough. "The ultimate decision rests with you, the Congress." That's not a decision Congress welcomes with open arms - and that reluctance presents a great illustration of one difference between power and responsibility - words that represent concepts that have meaning. Those concepts combined are such an enormous burden that the typical member of Congress can bear only one.
The Case Against Gays in the Military -- [Wall Street Journal]
Open homosexuality would threaten unit cohesion and military effectiveness. -- As expected, President Obama pledged during his State of the Union address to "work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans
Credit Where Credit is Due -- [BlackFive - Grim]
I know that we frequently have some philosophical disputes with the Obama administration here. Still, once in a while, it's a good idea to step back and point out the things they have gotten right.
Marine Ilario Pantano for Congress! -- [BlackFive]
We've followed the trials and tribulations of USMC First Lieutenant Ilario Pantano for awhile here on BlackFive. We've supported him since the beginning (and had to fight some of our own to do so), and, now, Ilario is running for Congress in the Congressional District NC-7. The 7th District has not had a Republican since March 3, 1871!
Pantano and his family live in North Carolina where, since 2006, he continues to serve his community as a Deputy Sheriff.
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Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs and various sources around the world. If you're a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link to any of these stories, add a link to the Dawn Patrol too and your trackback will be added to the list. Hat Tips to the Dawn Patrol are greatly appreciated.Refresh for updates.
US casualties in Afghanistan sow seeds of anger -- [AFP]
Anger, frustration and a hunger for revenge are running high among US Marines as casualties mount on the frontline of the battle against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.
On a base near Marjah, a Taliban stronghold in Helmand province, Marines are grieving the deaths of a sergeant and corporal killed by the remote-controlled bombs that have become the scourge of the long-running conflict.
Commanders try to keep the men's rage in check, aware that winning over an Afghan public wary of the foreign military presence and furious about mounting civilian casualties is as crucial as any battlefield success.
Petraeus on Afghanistan, Taliban -- [PRI]
At a conference on Afghanistan, Afghan President Hamid Karzai addressed ways of reintegrating some Taliban back into the Afghan political process, and into society as a whole. It's a provocative way forward in Afghanistan and it has the support of U.S. officials. Among them, the head of U.S. Central Command General David Petraeus, who commands forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Last week, "The Takeaway's" John Hockenberry spoke with General Petraeus in Washington, DC. The following is an excerpt of the interview.
Taliban's CIA bomber Hakimullah Mehsud dies of wounds -- [The Australian]
Hakimullah Mehsud, whose Pakistan Taliban movement was responsible for hundreds of deaths, was Pakistan's most wanted man.
The Pakistani military mounted an offensive against Mehsud and his loyalists in South Waziristan last year. But the US was also eager to retaliate against Mehsud after he claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing of a CIA base in southeast Afghanistan in late December that killed five agency officers and two private contractors, the deadliest assault against the spy agency in more than 20 years.
Afghanistan: Making Counterinsurgency Work -- [ABC News]
After US Army Capt. Michael Harrison completed his first tour in Afghanistan almost two years ago, he kept in touch with many of the locals he'd befriended, calling to chat via his old interpreter. When his unit redeployed to the Kunar River Valley, about a two-hour drive from Harrison's former area of operations in the Pesh River Valley, those friendships provided an unexpected benefit.
Armed And Ready To Rumble -- [Strategy Page]
The Taliban is in danger of being negotiated to death. Many older Taliban leaders, who ran Afghanistan until the end of 2001, and operating in Pakistani exile, are tired of the endless violence, and the growing dependence on heroin and al Qaeda to keep the Taliban war going. There is a growing lack of unity in the Taliban movement. The organization was always fragmented, but now you have mutually antagonistic factions (pro-drug, pro-al Qaeda, pro-"no foreigners or drugs", and so on). Many of the more powerful Taliban commanders are heavily dependent on drug money, and
U.S. air bases in Germany provide increasingly vital supply link to Afghanistan -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
It's been noticeable since last spring, but Ramstein and Spang are about to become even busier. - Nighttime and early morning flights at Ramstein and Spangdahlem air bases in Germany will noticeably increase over the next seven months as the military ferries additional troops and equipment to Afghanistan, U.S. Air Force officials said Friday.
The bases' airfields are typically less busy at night, with quiet hours enforced except for emergency or mission-essential flights. But starting next week and continuing until August, more large aircraft will be taking off and landing seven days a week, including during the base's normal 'quiet hours' between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Flights usually are limited on Sundays and German holidays.
How Rude Of Me -- [Afghan Quest - in Afghanistan]
As for the absence, I'd prefer not to make excuses. I have seen and learned so much on this tour... and it's only half over. I've learned a lot more about counterinsurgency. I've gotten snapshots of a lot of behaviors in the field. I've seen a lot of great developments that I've not been sure of being clear to write about.
There have also been frustrations.
I needed leave. Well, now that leave is over, where does the quest lead? We shall see soon enough... but back to the keyboard would be a good start.
Blasphemy -- [Afghan Quest - in Afghanistan]
The idea's being kicked around... though probably not by anyone who is capable or motivated to make a change in the policy... but it has been heard by these ears plenty; and from plenty of people. Most of them have "been there, done that." They have the little knickknacks on their apparel to show it. The idea itself is about the knickknacks; the badges.
Rainy Day in a White City (Updated) -- [Free Range International - in Afghanistan]
Jalalabad finally has some winter weather with much needed rain. The mountains surrounding the Kabul River plain have little snow; the weather has been unseasonably mild and dry thus far this winter. A dry winter is a real disaster in a parched country, which relies so heavily on small scale farms to feed its people. So the rain is good but only if it stops soon. Nothing is straightforward in Afghanistan even when it comes to rain - a few more days of this will render most of the housing structures unstable. Houses made of mud bricks do not handle the wet well at all.
U.S. makes small strides in getting Afghan army fighting fit, but hurdles remain -- [Washington Post]
As part of President Obama's plan to dramatically increase the size of the Afghan National Army, the first contingent of additional U.S. troops has arrived and begun taking over the training of new Afghan recruits, hoping to build up the local force to 134,000 battle-ready soldiers in 10 months.
America's New Hope: The Afghan Tribes -- [New York Times]
...For Pashtuns, the country's largest ethnic group and the Taliban's primary source of support, tribes are particularly important. Successfully turning Pashtun tribes against the Taliban -- or perhaps families or sub-tribes if they deal with the government on their own -- could deliver a serious blow to the insurgency and potentially create a means of stabilizing the long-suffering country.
Some Afghans, though, warn that the tribal system is not a panacea and fear that the United States is adopting a quick-fix approach that will not create long-term stability. They see the tribes as inherently anachronistic, sexist and corrupt
The Worst Job in Afghanistan -- [Knights of Afghanistan - in Afghanistan]
No, not mine, although it sometimes seems like it.
And not the ANP either, although I'm sure they think so every time they hit an IED or an ambush. I'm talking about these guys:
Obama proposes $1.2 billion to aid Pakistani military -- [Reuters]
US President Barack Obama on Monday proposed $1.2 billion in funding next year to help train and equip Pakistani security forces to ...
Three lives linked by call to duty, common tragedy -- [Boston Globe]
...In law school, their interest in military and intelligence work made them oddities to many classmates. Now, in law firms and investment banks across the country, some who knew them are questioning their own career choices. Indeed, their friends said, the close relationship of the three, their commitment to confront America's enemies, and the tragic arc of their lives underscore how rare it is for people with privileged educations to volunteer to fight America's wars.
"To see people who could have done anything making that kind of sacrifice, it is hard not to look inward and ask, 'What kind of sacrifices are you making?' '' said Rob Simmelkjaer, a former classmate who is now a vice president at ESPN in New York.
Scores Killed in Attack on Shiite Pilgrims in Iraq -- [Washington Post]
A female suicide bomber attacked a column of Shiite pilgrims on the outskirts of Baghdad on Monday, part of a convulsion of violence that has hit the capital in advance of national elections in March.
Wounded Warrior gets a proper exit from Iraq [HQ] -- [AFN]
The bonds between troops who have served together represent some of the strongest ties in the military. SPC Christopher Tobey introduces us to one wounded Warrior with a devoted sense of camaraderie and an infectious sense of humor.
They're Back: New Group of Wounded Vets Return to Iraq -- [DVIDS]
Six wounded warriors arrived in Baghdad in C-130 Hercules, Jan. 31, and took their first steps in Iraq after being severely wounded the last time they were here.
This is the fourth time Kell, with support from the USO, has returned wounded service members to Iraq as part of Operation Proper Exit, a program aimed at helping the warriors find emotional closure after being injured.
U.S. Examines Whether Blackwater Tried Bribery -- [New York Times]
...The investigation, which was confirmed by three current and former officials speaking on condition of anonymity, follows a report in The New York Times in November that top executives at Blackwater had authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials to buy their support after the shooting. The newspaper account said it could not determine whether any bribes were actually paid or identify Iraqi officials who might have received the money.
Incremental Steps in Iraq to Let Kurdistan Oil Flow -- [New York Times]
The semiautonomous region of Kurdistan is the one place in battered Iraq that promised economic boom times, but some of the foreign oil companies that rushed in over the past few years are becoming increasingly restless.
The Tawke oil field in Kurdistan. Several companies have invested billions of dollars and supplied oil and gas without payments.
Their multibillion-dollar deals are still mired in a bitter political dispute between the Kurdish region and the central government in Baghdad
BP Claims Iraq Could Rival Saudi Arabia in Oil Production -- [MEMRI Blog]
Tony Hayward, CEO of British Petroleum (BP), told an audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos that within a decade, Iraqi oil production could quadruple to 10 million barrels a day, from its current 2.5 million barrels - and could rival Saudi Arabia by 2020.
Auctioning Off The Secret Police -- [Strategy Page]
February 1, 2010: The government agreed to investigate the purchase of $85 million worth of ADE 651 explosives detectors. Iraqi officials bought thousands of these hand held devices last year, for up to $60,000 each. But the British manufacturer is being prosecuted in Britain for fraud, when it was discovered there that the ADE 651 is a scam.
Furloughs hurt military's view of Hawaii schools -- [Washington Post]
It's a Friday, but these students aren't in school. They're at a youth center where the U.S. Army is keeping soldiers' children engaged and learning on the 17 Fridays this school year the state of Hawaii has closed public schools to narrow a budget deficit.
The state's decision in October to shrink the school year by 10 percent, giving it the fewest number of instructional days in the nation at 163, is adding to the already dismal reputation Hawaii's public schools have among servicemen and women.
China suspends military exchanges with US -- [NewsDay / AP]
China suspended military exchanges with the United States, threatened unprecedented sanctions against American defense companies and warned Saturday that cooperation would suffer after Washington announced $6.4 billion in planned arms sales to Taiwan.
US Beefs Up Defences In Persian Gulf -- [Sky News]
The US is increasing its military presence and installing new anti-missile systems in Persian Gulf countries ahead of possible new sanctions against Iran, officials say.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Washington officials said the moves were to reassure Gulf countries that they would be protected against possible military attacks from Tehran.
Thais Say North Korea Arms Were Iran-Bound -- [New York Times]
A large shipment of North Korean weapons seized here in December was bound for an airport in Iran, according to a Thai government report submitted to the United Nations and leaked to news agencies.
Iran's Defiance Spurs Rise In U.S. Military Defenses -- [Wall Street Journal]
The U.S. and its allies in the Persian Gulf have stepped up their military defenses in recent months in response to Iranian missile tests and Tehran's continued defiance of international efforts to curtail its nuclear program, according to U.S. officials.
The moves, which have included upgrades, new purchases of American-made Patriot antimissile batteries and the addition of advanced air- and missile-defense radars, illustrate both growing concern with the Iranian moves and a new willingness by Arab allies in the region to more publicly tie their defenses to the U.S.
US Military to Resume Haiti Evacuation Flights -- [WMFE]
The White House says the US military will resume bringing Haitian earthquake victims to the United States for medical treatment, ending a suspension that
Get Information About Family or Friends in Haiti -- [Joint Task Force-Haiti]
The State Department Operations Center has set up the following phone number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747 (due to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording). You can also send an email to the State Department. Information is on the State Department Web site's International Travel section under Haiti Earthquake. Please be aware that communications within Haiti are very difficult at this time.
In a Pentagon Channel interview today -- [Joint Task Force-Haiti]
In a Pentagon Channel interview today, Col. Gregory Kane, JTF-Haiti Operations Officer said, "In preparation for the rainy season we are transitioning our efforts to getting shelter and medical aid to Haitians displaced by the earthquake."
TR Operations Cease in Haiti -- [Team Rubicon - in Haiti]
Team Rubicon operations have ceased inside the nation of Haiti. The leadership within Rubicon has come to the conclusion that Team Rubicon has completed its mission of bridging the gap between the earthquake and large aid agency response. As of 1900 hours local, TR2 began travelling back to the US, with a small contingent of volunteers remaining behind to continue working at CDTI Hospital (under no affiliation with Team Rubicon).
Rescue mission -- [Cleburne Times-Review]
...John Griswell said David flew to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic immediately after hearing news of the earthquake.
While at the airport, David met Jake Wood, a former Marine who hastily put together a team of military professionals, Team Rubicon, specifically to go to Haiti, which needed doctors.
Terrorists 'plan attack on Britain with bombs INSIDE their bodies' to foil new airport scanners. -- [Family Security Matters]
Britain is facing a new Al Qaeda terror threat from suicide 'body bombers' with explosives surgically inserted inside them. Until now, terrorists have attacked airlines, Underground trains and buses by secreting bombs in bags, shoes or underwear to avoid detection. But an operation by MI5 has uncovered evidence that Al Qaeda is planning a new stage in its terror campaign by inserting 'surgical bombs' inside people for the first time.
How Designated Terror Organization al-Shabaab Targets Western Youth -- [Family Security Matters]
As the new year begins, al-Shabaab, a terror group fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia, has served notice that it intends to play an increasingly prominent role in international jihad. Al-Shabaab fighters declared their support for Al Qaeda in Yemen following the attempted Christmas Day bombing of Northwest Flight 253, allegedly by a terrorist linked to that group. And police in Denmark said a man charged with the attempted New Year's Day murder of Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard (who drew a controversial 2005 cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammad) was a member of al-Shabaab with "close links" to leaders of al Qaeda in East Africa. Al Qaeda and al-Shabaab made official their alliance in September.
Discussing Lawfare on America's Newsroom (video) -- [BlackFive - Uncle Jimbo]
This morning I had the pleasure of discussing the Obama administration's approach to terrorism, precipitated by the news that KSM's trial is likely to be someplace other than NYC. That is good news, but not quite the right answer yet
The World's Most Bizarre Terror Threats: Underpants may be the least of our worries -- [Family Security Matters]
The ploy: Navigate into the center of a city by paraglider and attack crowds from above
This scenario was suggested in the Indian media this week after intelligence experts found that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) -- the Pakistani group believed to have orchestrated the devastating attacks in Mumbai that killed 166 people in 2008 -- had purchased 50 paraglider kits for, supposedly, a new attack plan.
Assessing the Militant White Separatist Movement -- [Counterterrorism Blog]
Today the militant white separatist movement faces leadership and organizational challenges: after the deaths and arrests of significant movement leaders over the past decade, it is fractured and appears poorly led. Further, the movement's recruitment and training capabilities appear relatively crude, and it lacks a unified ideological outlook. However, it would be a mistake to conclude from this that the American white separatist movement will remain incapable of orchestrating violence on a large scale.
Military support groups give comfort, answers to families -- [Lancaster Gazette]
The Fairfield County Chapter of the American Red Cross is increasing its outreach to military members and their families.
Using a $10,000 grant from the national American Red Cross, the chapter was able to hire an education coordinator, Nancy Kane Primmer, for its Service the Armed Forces program.
veteran-run warehouse and Salute to Heroes and Angels museum in San Antonio -- [Soldiers' Angels Texas]
On March 13, Soldiers' Angels is celebrating the official opening of our new, veteran-run warehouse and Salute to Heroes and Angels museum in San Antonio, and we hope to see you there! Join us for a daylong celebration with heroes, live music, BBQ, fellowship with other Angels, and a chance to tour the amazing new facilities while helping out with a care package packing party!Tickets are $20 per person, and hotel discounts are available.
Who's caring for our wounded veterans? -- [Soldiers' Angels Germany]
ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff and hs wife Lee talk about the issue of caretaking after his traumatic brain injury resulting from an IED explosion that injured him while he was reporting in Iraq in 2006.
That short interview only touches on the issues some military families face.
Now I urge you to watch the PBS documentary called "Who's Helping Our Wounded Vets?" , which tells the stories of three families who have literally sacrificed everything to care for their severely wounded family members.
Sears Once Again Supports U.S. Military Veterans by Teaming Up With AMVETS for 'Operation Blanket' [FOX]
"Each year we challenge ourselves to find new ways to say 'thank you' to the members of our military. This is yet another way we can show our appreciation
America's Last Surviving WWI Vet Celebrates 109th Birth... -- [WHAG]
CHARLES TOWN, WV - America's last surviving World War I Veteran and local man Frank W. Buckles turns 109 years-old Monday.
Last U.S. veteran of World War I turns 109 -- [CNN]
But the old "Doughboy" -- as World War I American infantry troops were called -- has already been outspoken in recent years, urging congressional lawmakers to give federal recognition and a facelift to a run-down District of Columbia memorial in an overgrown, wooded area along the National Mall.
In December, at 108, Buckles testified on Capitol Hill as lawmakers considered whether to fund renovation and give the site "national" monument status. But rival legislation seeks the "national" designation for a 1920s-era memorial located in Kansas City, Missouri.
Second Group Of Red Bull Soldiers Returning Home -- [WCCO]
Read more in our Privacy Policy The printer is running on overdrive at Fast Signs making "Welcome Home" banners for the troops. Two-hundred-fifty citizen
Kaboom -- [Greyhawk]
Kaboom: Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War. It's pre-order now - but author/milblogger Matt Gallagher says the release date is 1 April.
Someone emailed me this week and requested a list of my favorite active duty milblogs. (Not an unusual request.) I don't do favorites, but I did provide a list of folks currently (or recently) downrange. That list was short (and mostly here) - but that scarcity makes them all the more valuable - a national treasure, even.
But picking favorites aside, I think as far as milbloggers go, I can honestly say Lt G (the name he blogged under) is certainly the best writer among deployed milbloggers who actually published - I think he'll translate to ink on pages well. That he had good stories to tell is a bonus.
Obama Wants to Win the Next Election More Than Afghanistan -- [Human Events]
The burden of the war in Afghanistan is nowhere near fairly shared among NATO allies. Germany continues to have a numerically large, but mostly ineffective, deployment in the North of the country. But German troops are all safely restricted to base by 6pm to tuck into legendary amounts of German beer. French President Nicolas Sarkozy humiliatingly snubbed Obama on national TV on Monday night to inform the world that France won't be sending a single extra soldier to Afghanistan. And national caveats continue to bedevil the International Security and Assistance Force, as wounded servicemen lie dying in Afghanistan's combat zones while perfectly good helicopters stand idle less than a mile away restricted from entering "hot' areas.
Much to his amazement, Obama is experiencing the same thing that President Bush did: a Continental-wide "Non" from the very allies he's devoted the best part of a year trying to woo. In that respect, you'd expect him to be grateful for the countries that have stepped up to the plate: the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, as well as Australia and Canada to name a few. And none more so than the United Kingdom: more British servicemen have sacrificed their lives in Afghanistan than the rest of Europe combined. But during his speech, President Obama again refused to acknowledge the dedication and sacrifice of the 10,000 British troops in Afghanistan, in what must now be seen as near-contempt for America's greatest ally on the world stage.
Obama whistles past Afghanistan in annual address -- [Dawn]
In the president's 7,308-word speech, there were only 92 words for Afghanistan, a place where more than 100,000 US soldiers are engaged in a fight with an enemy they were told threatens American lives and interests.
The decision to keep references to foreign policy issues to the minimum in one of the longest state of the union speeches in recent years, made it amply clear that the Obama administration would focus mainly on domestic issues in its remaining three years.
Five years, $5.08 trillion in debt -- [Politico]
President Barack Obama's new $3.83 trillion budget -- on its way to Congress Monday -- anticipates an even worse deficit this year than last and no big improvement until the economy improves and the nation sheds the crushing costs of two wars overseas.
But behind the brave face, Obama's budget anticipates that Iraq and Afghanistan war funding will hover near $160 billion for both 2010 and 2011-- far more than he had hoped when elected and only modestly less than in the last years of the Bush Administration.
The strain shows itself in the new deficit projections, far worse than what the White House forecast in its first budget at this time a year ago.
After a record $1.4 trillion shortfall in 2009, the administration now says the red ink will reach $1.56 trillion this year and be little better, $1.27 trillion in 2011.
In fact, it's not until 2014 and 2015-- when Obama hopes to be in his second term-- that he has any hope of deficits approaching a sustainable level.
Obama proposes 3.4 percent boost for Pentagon -- [Washington Post]
The Pentagon will get a 3.4 percent boost to its regular budget plus extra money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the...
Pelosi's Children and Grandchildren Used Military Jets As Private Cross-Country Shuttle Service So They Could Avoid Dealing With the Rabble. -- [Doug Ross @ Journal]
Is it a legitimate use of military jets to transport the Speaker of the House and her favored Congressional coterie for routine travel? Even if you believe it is -- and, personally, I do not -- any rational taxpayer would admit that it is monumental waste of money. Military flights cost between $5,000 and $20,000 per hour to operate. The Speaker and her passengers routinely reimburse the Air Force $120 to $400 for each flight.
...Worse still, she also appears to have requisitioned entire flights for the personal use of her children and grandchildren. That is, unaccompanied by any member of Congress, her kids, in-laws and grandchildren are utilizing entire military passenger jets for their routine travel needs.
Forces Pushing Obama on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' -- [New York Times]
President Obama and top Pentagon officials met repeatedly over the past year about repealing "don't ask, don't tell," the law that bans openly gay members of the military. -- But it was in Oval Office strategy sessions ...
Susan Estrich: Military can lead way toward equal society -- [RocNow]
Since 1993, more than 13000 soldiers have been discharged from the military under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy.
Out of your league -- [Greyhawk]
...as in definition 2, that is: "in a situation where you have no chance of succeeding, especially due to lack of skills."
Can uniformed active duty military folks participate in a political debate?
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